‘RNA circles of influence’ in Kaposi sarcoma

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are increasingly implicated in different biological processes. A recent report by Tagawa et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A [2018] investigates the circRNAs expressed following infection by Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV). We discuss the proposed biological functions of such circRNAs in enhancing or repressing virulence, as well as the possible utility of subsets of circRNAs in antiviral therapy.