CircRNA-associated ceRNA regulatory networks as emerging mechanisms governing the development and biophysiopathology of epilepsy.

ABSTRACT

The etiology of epilepsy is ascribed to the synchronized aberrant neuronal activity within the brain. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs characterized by their circular structures and covalent linkage, exert a substantial influence on this phenomenon. CircRNAs possess stereotyped replication, transience, repetitiveness, and paroxysm. Additionally, MicroRNA (miRNA) plays a crucial role in the regulation of diverse pathological processes, including epilepsy. CircRNA is of particular significance due to its ability to function as a competing endogenous RNA, thereby sequestering or inhibiting miRNA activity through binding to target mRNA. Our review primarily concentrates on elucidating the pathological and functional roles, as well as the underlying mechanisms, of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks in epilepsy. Additionally, it explores the potential utility of these networks for early detection and therapeutic intervention.