Hsa_circ_0042666 inhibits proliferation and invasion via regulating miR-223/TGFBR3 axis in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to play critical roles in tumorigenesis. However, the roles of circRNAs in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) are still largely unknown. In our present study, we identified a novel circRNA hsa_circ_0042666, which was poorly expressed in LSCC. Low hsa_circ_0042666 expression was closely associated with advanced tumor stage, lymph-node metastasis, and poor overall survival. In vitro function assays, we showed that hsa_circ_0042666 dramatically reduced LSCC cells proliferation and invasion in vitro. In mechanism, our data indicated that hsa_circ_0042666 could competitively bind to miR-223 as a miRNA sponge to regulate TGFBR3 expression in LSCC progression. Altogether, these findings elucidated that hsa_circ_0042666 regulated LSCC cells proliferation and invasion by miR-223/TGFBR3 axis, which might provide a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of LSCC.