Project description:Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a kind of novel non-coding RNAs. Recent evidence has known that circRNAs play important roles in various diseases; however, few circRNAs have been well characterized in lung cancer. Understanding the expression profile of circRNAs and protein-coding genes is critical to discover the pathogenesis of lung cancer.
Project description:Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignany and currently the fourth leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a kind of novel noncoding RNA with a covalently circular structure arise from the non-canonical splicing of precursor-mRNA(pre-mRNA). To identify circRNAs involved in the progression of PDAC, next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed in five paired PDAC and normal adjacent tissues. Our results suggest that the differential expressed circRNAs in PDAC tissues and normal adjacent tissues associated with the metastasis of PDAC.
Project description:The phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) leads to neointimal hyperplasia, which is the underlying cause of vascular remodeling diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. Novel hidden proteins encoded by circular RNAs (circRNAs) play crucial roles in disease progression. Our study identified a new protein derived from a circRNA in VSMCs and demonstrated its potential role in regulating vascular remodeling. We discovered a novel hidden protein, p-414aa, encoded by circSETD2(14,15), which can inhibit vascular remodeling. Both circSETD2(14,15) and p-414aa may serve as potential therapeutic targets for vascular remodeling diseases. In this study, we demonstrated that the new protein p-414aa encoded by circSETD2(14,15) inhibits VSMC proliferation and neointimal hyperplasia through the HuR/C-FOS axis. In summary, our data provide a molecular framework for the phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells.
Ye Yang 
