CircSMAD3 represses SMAD3 phosphorylation and ameliorates cardiac remodeling by recruiting YBX1.

ABSTRACT

Circular RNA (circRNA) has emerged as potential therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases. Given the central role of the TGFß signaling pathway in cardiac remodeling and its potential as a therapeutic target, we hypothesized that a circRNA from this pathway could modulate cardiac remodeling and serve as a heart failure treatment. Therefore, we identified a circRNA, named circSMAD3, that was significantly reduced in murine heart failure models. Functionally, circSMAD3 mitigated cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and inhibited cardiac fibroblast activation in vitro. Mechanistically, circSMAD3 interacts with YBX1, stabilizing it and facilitating its binding to SMAD3 in the nucleus, disrupting the TGFß/SMAD3 signaling pathway, and ultimately restoring cardiac remodeling. This study highlights circSMAD3 as a promising therapeutic target for heart failure treatment.