{
  "id": 8781636,
  "title": "Loss of TDP-43 function drives cryptic circular RNAs in neurodegenerative diseases",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/loss-of-tdp-43-function-drives-cryptic-circular-rnas-in",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-20T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.17.752169v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), a crucial regulator of RNA splicing, is a defining feature of neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, the effects of TDP-43 loss on circular RNA (circRNA) biogenesis have not been previously investigated. Researchers have discovered that when TDP-43 is depleted in human neurons, there is a significant increase in circRNA levels, particularly a unique class of cryptic circRNAs. These cryptic circRNAs are formed in a specific manner and incorporate cryptic exons from intronic sequences. They are also more stable than their linear RNA counterparts and accumulate over time within neurons. Furthermore, elevated levels of these cryptic circRNAs have been found in postmortem brain tissues from ALS, FTD, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. This study reveals that TDP-43 plays a previously unknown role in suppressing cryptic circRNA formation, and these circRNAs serve as stable molecular markers of TDP-43 dysfunction.",
  "summary": "TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a key pathological hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and a critical regulator of RNA splicing. While loss of TDP-43 induces aberrant splicing in linear transcripts, its impact on circular RNA (circRNA) biogenesis remains unexplored. Here, we show that TDP-43 depletion in human neurons induces widespread circRNA…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "bioRxiv",
        "title": "TDP-43 dysfunction induces cryptic circular RNAs in ALS/FTD",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/tdp-43-dysfunction-induces-cryptic-circular-rnas-in-als-ftd",
        "published": "2026-09-20T00:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}