Purpose: Accumulating evidence demonstrates that circRNAs regulate diverse cellular processes and cancer progression. However, it remains unclear whether circRNAs play any functional role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
Materials and methods: The significance of circRNA_100876 in ESCC was analyzed by studying circRNA_100876 expression in ESCC tissues and the association between circRNA_100876 expression and clinicopathologic parameters. The biological effects of circRNA_100876 knockdown by lentivirus-mediated siRNAs on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and migration were investigated in vitro and in vivo.
Results: CircRNA_100876 expression was upregulated (P <0.05) and was negatively correlated with survival outcome (P <0.05) in ESCC. Inhibition of proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition progression was confirmed after circRNA_100876 depletion.
Conclusion: Dysregulation of circRNA_100876 expression leads to poor prognosis in ESCC by accelerating cell proliferation and metastasis.
Keywords: circRNA_100876, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, metastasis, epithelial–mesenchymal transition