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Updated: Dec 25, 2025
Pancreatic Tissue Dissection to Isolate Viable Single Cells
Published on: May 26, 2023
Integrated analysis of circular RNA-associated ceRNA network in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Wei Song1,2, Wen-Jie Wang3, Tao Fu1
1Department of Gastroenterological Surgery II, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have displayed dysregulated expression in several types of cancer. However, the functions of the majority of circRNAs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the expression, functions and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in PDAC. The circRNAs, mRNAs and the microRNA (miRNAs) expression profiles were obtained from three Gene Expression Omnibus microarray datasets, and a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA and circRNA-miRNA-hubgene network was established. The interactions between proteins were analyzed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database, and hubgenes were identified using the MCODE plugin. A total of eight differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs), 44 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and 2,052 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) were identified. The present study successfully constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network based on four circRNAs, six miRNAs and 111 mRNAs in PDAC. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways analyses indicated that DEmRNAs may participate in the pathogenesis and progression of PDAC. The protein-protein interaction network and module analysis identified six hubgenes (THBS1, FN1, TIMP3, TGFB2, ITGA1 and ITGA3). Furthermore, the circRNA-miRNA-hubgene regulatory modules were constructed based on the three DEcircRNAs, one DEmiRNAs and five DEmRNAs. In conclusion, the results of the present study improve the current understanding of the pathogenesis of PDAC.
Insights
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) show altered expression in pancreatic cancer. This study identified key circRNAs, microRNAs, and mRNAs involved in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) pathogenesis, revealing potential therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are increasingly recognized for their roles in various cancers.
- The specific functions of most circRNAs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not well understood.
- Investigating circRNA expression and function is crucial for understanding PDAC development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the expression patterns, functions, and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in PDAC.
- To construct regulatory networks involving circRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in PDAC.
- To identify potential diagnostic or therapeutic biomarkers for PDAC.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of circRNA, miRNA, and mRNA expression profiles from public microarray datasets (Gene Expression Omnibus).
- Construction of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks and circRNA-miRNA-hubgene networks.
- Bioinformatic analyses including protein-protein interaction network analysis (STRING database) and module identification (MCODE).
Main Results:
- Identified eight differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs), 44 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and 2,052 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) in PDAC.
- Successfully constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network involving four circRNAs, six miRNAs, and 111 mRNAs.
- Identified six key hub genes (THBS1, FN1, TIMP3, TGFB2, ITGA1, ITGA3) and constructed regulatory modules.
Conclusions:
- The identified DEcircRNAs, DEmiRNAs, and DEmRNAs play significant roles in PDAC pathogenesis and progression.
- The constructed networks provide novel insights into the complex regulatory mechanisms underlying PDAC.
- This study enhances the understanding of circRNA involvement in PDAC, suggesting potential targets for future research and therapy.
