Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2026, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (4): 1550-1551.doi: 10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01291

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Therapeutic potential of circular RNAs in neurovascular remodeling after stroke

Zhenguo Yang, Chi Kwan Tsang*   

  1. Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, Clinical Neuroscience Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China (Yang Z, Tsang CK) Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA (Tsang CK)
  • Online:2026-04-15 Published:2025-07-27
  • Contact: Chi Kwan Tsang, PhD, tsangch@jnu.edu.cn.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Nos. 82171344 (to ZY), 82471313 (to CKT) and the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, China, Nos. 2023B1515120035, 2024A1515012035 (to CKT); The Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou Nos. 2025A03J4169 (to ZY).

Abstract: Stroke-induced alterations in cerebral blood flow trigger neurovascular remodeling, as manifested by the blood–brain barrier dysfunction and subsequent neurovascular repair activities such as angiogenesis. This process involves neurovascular communication that facilitates the transport of mediators among cerebrovascular endothelial cells, pericytes, glial cells, and neurons, thereby transmitting signals from donor to recipient cells to elicit a collaborative response. Current research progress has implicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) may play a crucial role in intercellular communication through extracellular vesicles (EVs). CircRNAs may function as messengers that are involved in the regulation of transcription and translation in both donor and recipient cells. These cellular functions of circRNAs can be mediated by the competitive binding of circRNAs to microRNAs (miRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins, which subsequently influence the biological functions of their targets. For example, our recent studies showed that circOGDH acts as a sponge for miR-5112, while circ-FoxO3 interacts with both mTOR and E2F1, thereby facilitating neurovascular remodeling (Liu et al., 2022; Yang et al., 2022). However, the precise roles of circRNAs in neurovascular remodeling and their specific functions in intercellular communications remain obscured. In this perspective, we will highlight the crucial emerging roles of circRNAs in relation to neurovascular remodeling and the therapeutic potential of targeting circRNAs in stroke.