CircRNA Profiling Identifies circRNF180 as a Tumor Suppressor in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Aim: To explore the expression profiles and functions of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials‘methods: We obtained circRNA expression profiles through RNA sequencing. Expression levels of circRNAs were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. The effects on HCC progression were determined using Cell Counting Kit 8, clone formation and transwell assays. Results: We identified 114 upregulated and 144 downregulated circRNAs in HCC tissues. The results of quantitative real-time PCR showed that circGNAO1, circRNF180 and circMERTK were significantly downregulated in HCC tissues, whereas circSNX6 was significantly upregulated. CircRNF180 was associated with microvascular invasion. Overexpression of circRNF180 inhibits the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. Conclusion: CircRNF180 may function as a tumor suppressor and could serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in HCC.

Keywords::

• circRNF180
• circRNA
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• RNA sequencing
• tumor suppressor

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/epi-2020-0385

Financial‘competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the National Key Public Health Program of China (Cancer Screening Program in Urban China). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key Public Health Program of China (Cancer Screening Program in Urban China). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.