Circ-OMAC drives metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Accumulating studies have proved that the circular RNAs (circRNAs) play vital roles in human cancers. However, few circRNAs have been elucidated with lymph node metastasis. This study demonstrated that circ-oral cancer metastasis-associated circRNA (circ-OMAC) is required to regulate the oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) metastasis.

The circ-OMAC were detected by circRNA-sequencing and further verified by in situ hybridization (ISH). The role of circ-OMAC was assessed by transwell assay and wound healing assay. Mechanistically, circ-OMAC regulated OSCC metastasis by initiating the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling pathway.

Our findings suggested that circ-OMAC was aberrantly elevated in the metastatic lymph nodes as compared to primary OSCC tissues. OSCC patients with high levels of circ-OMAC were prone to a poor prognosis. By developing functional assays, we confirmed that circ-OMAC promotes metastasis of OSCC cells via initiation of EMT pathways.

We provide new insights whereby Circ-OMAC as an oncogene is a potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker in oral cancer.