Role of circular RNAs and long non-coding RNAs in the clinical translation of gastric cancer (Review)

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignancy with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide. It has a severe impact on patients diagnosed and on society. With the rapid development of bioinformatics and detection technologies, non-coding RNAs have been demonstrated to play important roles in gastric carcinogenesis, including circular RNAs (circRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Previous studies have indicated that these two types of RNAs with notable characteristics can serve as promising biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and prognosis. The identification of relevant mechanisms has revealed the immense potential of circRNAs and lncRNAs in the treatment of GC. However, there are still numerous issues that need to be resolved. The present review focuses on the clinical translation of circRNAs and lncRNAs into GC. Important achievements and currently existing limitations in this field of research are summarized from recent studies. The present review also proposes serviceable suggestions for further development.