INTEGRATE-Circ

INTEGRATE-Circ detects fusion-derived circular RNAs (fcircRNAs) from RNA-Seq data to identify and characterize backsplicing events that produce circularized transcripts composed of multiple genes.

Key Features:

• Unbiased Detection: Performs unbiased detection of fcircRNAs from RNA-Seq, addressing limitations of existing analytical methods in identifying fusion-derived circular RNAs produced by backsplicing.
• Sensitivity, Precision, and Accuracy: Demonstrates high sensitivity, precision, and accuracy for fcircRNA detection as validated on simulated RNA-Seq data and public lymphoblast cell line datasets.
• Validation Capability: Identified and validated three novel fcircRNAs in vitro within a well-characterized breast cancer cell line.
• Visualization (INTEGRATE-Vis): Provides INTEGRATE-Vis for visualization of fcircRNAs to support interpretation of fusion-derived circular transcripts.

Scientific Applications:

• Biomarker Discovery: Enables identification of fcircRNAs as potential oncogenic biomarkers for cancer diagnostics and prognostics.
• Functional Insights: Supports exploration of fcircRNA prevalence and potential functions through combined detection and visualization.
• Clinical Research: Facilitates assessment of fcircRNA presence in various cell lines to inform studies of cancer biology and therapeutic development.

Methodology:

Processes RNA-Seq data with computational algorithms to detect fcircRNAs via backsplicing signatures, with validation on simulated RNA-Seq datasets, public lymphoblast cell line datasets, and in vitro validation in a breast cancer cell line.