Circrna Hsa_Circ_0004771 Promotes Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer Progression Via miR-339-5p/CDC25A Axis

Abstract

<b>Aim:</b> The role of circRNAs in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) remains unclear. <b>Materials & methods:</b> Here we profiled six pair plasma circRNA in ESCC based on RNA sequencing, and then verified the elevation of hsa_circ_0004771 in 20 cancer tissues and 105 pair case-control plasma samples by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. <b>Results:</b> The upregulation of hsa_circ_0004771 was correlated with heavier tumor burden and poor prognosis, knockdown of it inhibited the ESCC cells proliferation both <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0004771 positively regulated CDC25A by acting as a molecular sponge of miR-339-5p and rescue assay confirmed this regulatory relationship. <b>Conclusion:</b> These results suggested that hsa_circ_0004771 can serve as a general less-invasive biomarker and may provide diagnostic and prognostic value in carcinoma.