RETRACTED: Promotion of tumor progression by exosome transmission of circular RNA circSKA3

Abstract

, circSKA3-containing exosomes potentiated tumor development and invasion that were inhibited by blocking exosome transmission. The ascites isolated from tumor-bearing mice or breast cancer patients showed high levels of circSKA3 and integrin β1. Single-cell culture and single-cell PCR showed that circSKA3 was heterogeneously expressed, the cells expressing higher levels of circSKA3 had a higher potential to form large colonies. This property was similar to c-myc, but circSKA3 expression had no correlation with c-myc levels. The effects of circSKA3 on cell migration and invasion appeared to predominate c-myc functions. By releasing circSKA3-containing exosomes to cancer cells expressing lower levels of circSKA3, the large colonies could regulate the activities of small colonies, enhancing the tumor-forming capacity of the entire population. Thus, we provide evidence that the transmission of circular RNAs in tumor-derived exosomes may allow for the maintenance of advantageous invasive sub-clones in breast cancer.