CircularRNA Hsa_circ_0093335 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via sponging miR-338-5p

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are implicated in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• The specific role of Hsa_circ_0093335 (circ0093335) in HCC pathogenesis remained unexplored prior to this study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of circ0093335 in hepatocellular carcinoma.
• To determine the potential of circ0093335 as a therapeutic target for HCC.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to assess circ0093335 expression in HCC tissues and cell lines.
• In vitro and in vivo experiments (overexpression and knockdown) to evaluate circ0093335's role in HCC progression.
• Mechanistic studies including FISH, RIP, and dual luciferase reporter assays to elucidate the interaction between circ0093335 and miR-338-5p.

Main Results:

• Circ0093335 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cells compared to normal controls.
• High circ0093335 levels correlated with advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and microvascular invasion in HCC patients.
• Circ0093335 promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor growth in vivo, acting as a sponge for miR-338-5p and consequently inhibiting its expression.

Conclusions:

• Circ0093335 is oncogenic in HCC, promoting tumor progression through the miR-338-5p/circ0093335 axis.
• Circ0093335 represents a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma.