Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 15, 2025

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines
08:50

In Vitro Cultivation Techniques for Modeling Liver Organogenesis, Building Assembloids, and Designing Synthetic Tissues using Human Cell Lines

Published on: April 18, 2025

709

Circular RNA circSOX4 promotes the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by down

Z Wen1, Y-X Guo, H-D Sun

  • 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, China. 45109882@qq.com.

European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences
|March 4, 2021
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Circular RNA SOX4 (circSOX4) is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and linked to poor prognosis. Silencing circSOX4 inhibits HCC cell progression by interacting with microRNA-432.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a role in human malignant tumors.
  • Emerging evidence links circRNAs to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of circSOX4 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression.
  • To explore the underlying molecular mechanism of circSOX4 in HCC.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to measure circSOX4 levels in HCC tissues and cell lines.
  • RNA interference (siRNA) to knockdown circSOX4 expression.
  • Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis assays (CCK-8, Transwell, wound healing, flow cytometry).
  • Bioinformatics analysis and Luciferase assay to identify and confirm circSOX4's target RNA.

Main Results:

  • CircSOX4 expression is significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines.
  • High circSOX4 expression correlates with poor prognosis in HCC patients.
  • Knockdown of circSOX4 inhibits HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while promoting apoptosis.
  • CircSOX4 directly binds to microRNA-432 (miR-432).
  • miR-432 downregulation partially reverses the effects of circSOX4 knockdown on HCC cells.

Conclusions:

  • CircSOX4 is an oncogenic circRNA in HCC, associated with poor patient prognosis.
  • CircSOX4 promotes HCC progression by sponging miR-432.

More Related Videos

Analysis of Combinatorial miRNA Treatments to Regulate Cell Cycle and Angiogenesis11:44

Analysis of Combinatorial miRNA Treatments to Regulate Cell Cycle and Angiogenesis

Published on: March 30, 2019

7.8K
In Silico Identification and Characterization of circRNAs During Host-Pathogen Interactions10:27

In Silico Identification and Characterization of circRNAs During Host-Pathogen Interactions

Published on: October 21, 2022

1.8K

Related Concept Videos

MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...
3.4K
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After...
23.1K
Experimental RNAi02:15

Experimental RNAi

RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
6.8K
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.9K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.1K
siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs02:30

siRNA - Small Interfering RNAs

Small interfering RNAs, or siRNAs, are short regulatory RNA molecules that can silence genes post-transcriptionally, as well as the transcriptional level in some cases. siRNAs are important for protecting cells against viral infections and silencing transposable genetic elements.
In the cytoplasm, siRNA is processed from a double-stranded RNA, which comes from either endogenous DNA transcription or exogenous sources like a virus. This double-stranded RNA is then cleaved by the...
17.6K