Exosome-transmitted circular RNA circ-LMO7 facilitates the progression of osteosarcoma by regulating miR-21-5p/ARHGAP24 axis

The potential function and mechanism of circRNAs in regulating malignant performances of Osteosarcoma (OS) cells have not been well investigated. The expression level of CircLMO7, miR-21-5p and ARHGAP24 were detected by RT-qPCR. The relationship between miR-21-5p and circ-LMO7, as well as between miR-21-5p and ARHGAP24, was predicted and examined through bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter gene experiments. Moreover, OS cell growth, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were detected using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively. ARHGAP24 protein level was measured using western blotting. In present study, we choose to investigate the role and mechanism of circ-LOM7 on OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. circ-LOM7 was found to be down-regulated in OS tissues and cell lines. Enforced expression of circ-LOM7 suppressed the growth, invasion, and migration of OS cells. In contrast, decreasing circ-LMO7 expression had opposite effects. Furthermore, miR-21-5p was predicted to be sponged by circ-LMO7, and had an opposite role of circ-LMO7 in OS. Moreover, ARHGAP24 served as miR-21-5p's downstream target. Mechanistically, circ-LMO7 was packed in exosomes and acted as a cancer-suppresser on OS by sponging miR-21-5p and upregulating the expression of ARHGAP24. The exosomal circ-LMO7 expression was significantly decreased in OS cell exosomes, and co-culture experiments showed that exosomal circ-LMO7 suppressed the proliferation ability of OS cells. Circ-LMO7 exerts as a tumor suppressor in OS, and the circ-LMO7/miR-21-5P/ARHGAP24 axis is involved in OS progression.