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CircularRNA_104670 plays a critical role in intervertebral disc degeneration by functioning as a ceRNA
- Source :
- Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Vol 50, Iss 8, Pp 1-12 (2018)
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Nature Publishing Group, 2018.
-
Abstract
- Spinal disease: A roundabout route to disc degeneration ‘RNA sponges’ may provoke lower back pain by soaking up regulatory RNAs that normally protect the protein infrastructure surrounding cells in intervertebral discs. Many people suffer from lower back pain arising from disc degeneration (IDD). A team led by Fei-Zou and Jian-Yuan Jiang at Fudan University, Shanghai, China set out to identify molecular mechanisms that might contribute to IDD. They focused on circular RNAs, non-protein coding RNAs that have been linked to a variety of diseases. The researchers learned that IDD is associated with strongly elevated expression of a circular RNA that acts as an ‘RNA sponge’, binding to and thereby inactivating other RNA molecules. This inactivation ultimately results in the excessive production of an enzyme that can damage the protein matrix that supports cells within spinal discs, potentially setting up the conditions for IDD.
- Subjects :
- Medicine
Biochemistry
QD415-436
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20926413
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Experimental and Molecular Medicine
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.38deb066f8240bdb6d7b8b2043e582a
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-018-0125-y