精神分裂症是一种严重且复杂的精神疾病，其确切的病因尚不清楚。环状RNA（circular RNA，circRNA）是一类具有闭环结构的内源性非编码RNA，大量存在于真核细胞的转录组中。近年来，随着分子遗传领域的发展，研究者们对circRNA的表达谱和生物学作用的理解取得了巨大的进展，发现这些分子参与多种生物学过程，包括基因表达的调节、突触可塑性和认知灵活性等。研究表明circRNA在哺乳动物大脑中尤为丰富，并参与哺乳动物神经发育、维持神经功能等。细胞内外circRNA水平的改变与包括精神分裂症在内的多种神经精神疾病有关。这些特征使得circRNA在神经精神障碍方面具有独特的关键作用。基于circRNA的特性、生物学功能以及在疾病中所发挥的调控作用，越来越多的研究开始探索circRNA在精神分裂症中的异常表达及其与疾病发生发展之间的关系。其中，外泌体circRNA因具有较高的稳定性、疾病特异性以及含量丰富等特点，有望成为精神分裂症诊断潜在的生物标志物。该文就circRNA与精神分裂症的最新相关研究进展作一综述，并探讨外泌体circRNA作为精神分裂症诊断标志物、治疗靶点的可行性。

Schizophrenia is a complex and severe mental disorder, the precise cause of which remains unknown. Circular RNA (circRNA), a type of non-coding RNA with a loop-like structure, is abundant in eukaryotic cell transcriptomes. Recent advancements in molecular genetics have allowed researchers to gain a better understanding of circRNA′s expression profile and biological functions. These molecules play critical roles in various biological processes, including regulation of gene expression, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive flexibility. Due to its high concentration in the mammalian brain, circRNA is involved in neurodevelopment and the maintenance of neural function. Changes in circRNA levels, both within and outside of cells, have been linked to numerous neuro-psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. As such, circRNA has a crucial and distinctive function in neuro-psychiatric disorders. Given its characteristics, biological functions, and regulatory roles in diseases, researchers are exploring the abnormal expression of circRNA in schizophrenia and its connection to the onset and progression of the disease. Among them, exosomal circRNA, due to its high stability, disease specificity, and abundant content, is poised to become a potential biological marker for diagnosing schizophrenia. This article provides an extensive overview of the recent circRNA and schizophrenia research, discussing the possibility of using exosomal circRNA as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for schizophrenia.