# Roles and Applications of Circular RNA in Virus Infection

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how circular RNAs influence viral infections and their potential for developing new therapies.

## Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of circRNA roles in viral infections and their interactions with the host.

## Key findings

- CircRNAs modulate viral entry and genome replication.
- They influence host immune responses and viral immune evasion.
- Both host and virus-encoded circRNAs are involved in viral infection processes.

## Abstract

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel types of covalently closed single-stranded RNA formed by the backsplicing of precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs). Recently, circRNAs have been shown to play a crucial role in various diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that both host-derived and virus-encoded circRNAs play pivotal roles during viral infection, including modulating viral entry, genome replication, latency establishment, and the host antiviral immune responses while simultaneously facilitating viral immune evasion. However, their roles during viral infections and circRNA-host interactions remain to be further investigated. Therefore, this article reviews the key characteristics and biological functions of circRNAs, as well as recent advances in understanding the interactions between circRNAs from different sources and viral infections, which will offer insights for developing therapies targeting virus-associated diseases.