Circular RNA circBFAR promotes glioblastoma progression by regulating a miR-548b/FoxM1 axis

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of tumor of the primary nervous system. Treatment options for GBM include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy; however, the clinical outcomes are poor, with a high rate of recurrence. An increasing number of studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) serve important roles in several types of cancer. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was utilized to identify the differentially expressed circRNAs and their biological functions. Then, we detected the circular RNA bifunctional apoptosis regulator (circBFAR) was significantly increased in three GEO datasets. However, the role of circBFAR has not been reported in GBM. In this study, the expression of circBFAR was significantly increased both in GBM tissues or cell lines and was negatively correlated with overall survival in patients with GBM. Knockdown of circBFAR inhibited proliferation and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Increased expression of circBFAR resulted in a reduction of miR-548b expression in glioma cells. A luciferase reporter and RIP assay indicated that miR-548b was a direct target of circBFAR, and miR-548b may negatively regulate the expression of FoxM1. Rescue experiments showed that overexpression of FoxM1 could counter the effect of circBFAR silencing on the proliferation and invasion of glioma cell lines. Moreover, we identified that circBFAR regulates FoxM1 by interacting with miR-548b in glioma cells. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that a circBFAR/miR-548b/FoxM1 axis regulates the development of GBM and highlights potentially novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of GBM.