Circular RNAs in metabolic health: bridging the gap between molecular biology and therapy
Huang Y., He T., Zheng J., Chen J., Yang Z.
Narrative Review, published in Cell Death Dis (2026) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Narrative Review
- Journal
- Cell Death Dis (2026)
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- Europe PMC
- PMID
- 41741417
- PMCID
- PMC12988876
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41419-026-08450-5
Abstract (original English)
Recent advances in obesity research have shifted focus toward biological mechanisms, paralleling progress in pharmacotherapy. Fat browning-the conversion of white to brown adipocytes-emerges as a promising therapeutic strategy. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), stable non-coding RNAs with regulatory functions, are now recognized as key modulators of this process through organelle-mediated mechanisms. This review synthesizes current understanding of circRNA biogenesis and their roles in fat browning, particularly their interactions with mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in lipid metabolism. We highlight their capacity to encode peptides and regulate metabolic pathways, positioning circRNAs as potential precision therapeutics. While preclinical studies demonstrate mechanistic efficacy, clinical translation requires addressing delivery challenges and tissue-specific effects. This biological perspective advances obesity treatment paradigms beyond simplistic energy-balance models, mirroring the evolution seen in pharmacotherapeutic development.
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
- • This is a narrative review: it collects no new patient data and does not systematically appraise evidence quality.
Evidence level
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
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