Overexpressed circ_0029426 in glioblastoma forecasts unfavorable prognosis and promotes cell progression by sponging miR-197

Accumulating studies indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an imperative role in modulating cancer progression and metastasis. In the previous study, elevated circ_0029426 was first observed in glioblastoma (GBM) tissues compared with normal tissues by circRNA microarray. Our aim is to study the function and mechanism of circ_0029426 in GBM. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect relative circ_0029426 expression in GBM tissue samples and cells. Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate the expression of circ_0029426 and clinical parameters.The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were analyzed to evaluate the link between circ_0029426 expression and the overall survival of patients with GBM. Loss/gain-of function experiments were performed to measure GBM cell growth, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Dual luciferase reporter assays were applied to detect the binding ability between circ_0029426 and miR-197. As a result, the circ_0029426 expression is tightly correlated with patients' clinical severity and prognosis. Functionally, circ_0029426 strikingly promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR-197 was predicted and verified to be sponged by circ_0029426. More importantly, the oncogenic functions of circ_0029426 are partially attributed to its suppression on miR-197. Collectively, circ_0029426 may be taken as a potential therapeutic target for GBM.