The circular RNA circPTK2 inhibits EMT in hepatocellular carcinoma by acting as a ceRNA and sponging miR-92a to upregulate E-cadherin

T.-T. Gong, F.-Z. Sun, J.-Y Chen, J.-F. Liu, Y. Yan, D. Li, B. Zhou, H. Shan

Department of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China. 479782767@qq.com

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• Oncology

OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in a wide variety of cellular processes. However, there are few reports about the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of miRNAs in HCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: qRT-PCR and Western blots were performed to quantify the expression of miR-92a, E-cadherin, and circPTK2. Proliferation and invasion assays were performed to explore the function of miR-92a and circPTK2. A Luciferase assay was used to test the relationship between miR-92a, E-cadherin, and circPTK2.

RESULTS: In this study, we found that miR-92a was upregulated in HCC tissues and HCC cell lines. Overexpression of miR-92a enhanced cell proliferation and invasion by targeting the E-cadherin 3′UTR in HCC cells. Furthermore, we found that circPTK2 inhibited EMT by inhibiting miR-92a, preventing its ability to downregulate E-cadherin in HCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS: We identified a regulatory axis comprising circPTK2/miR-92a/E-cadherin in HCC cells that may serve as a valuable biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with HCC.

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