TY - JOUR AB - Lower back pain (LBP) is an extremely common symptom and is recognized as a leading contributor to disability and disease burden globally. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) represents a major cause of LBP. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of IDD remain unclear, and currently available treatments, including conservative and surgical options, fail to effectively delay, stop or reverse the progression of IDD. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a newly discovered group of covalently closed, single‑stranded and endogenous non‑coding RNAs. A growing body of research has revealed that a number of circRNAs are widely and aberrantly expressed in IDD tissues. Furthermore, they play important roles in the pathogenesis of IDD, including proliferation, apoptosis, senescence, mitophagy, inflammation and extracellular matrix metabolism, mainly by acting as sponges for microRNAs. The present review aims to summarize the current understanding on the mechanisms of circRNA‑mediated regulation in IDD. AD - Department of Orthopedics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China Department of Orthopedics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China AU - Lin,Zhidi AU - Lu,Feizhou AU - Ma,Xiaosheng AU - Xia,Xinlei AU - Zou,Fei AU - Jiang,Jianyuan DA - 2021/11/01 DO - 10.3892/etm.2021.10655 IS - 5 JO - Exp Ther Med KW - intervertebral disc degeneration circular RNA microRNA sponge nucleus pulposus cell extracellular matrix PY - 2021 SN - 1792-0981 1792-1015 SP - 1221 ST - Roles of circular RNAs in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (Review) T2 - Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine TI - Roles of circular RNAs in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration (Review) UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2021.10655 VL - 22 ER -