Circular RNA CDR1as promotes tumor progression by regulating miR-432-5p/E2F3 axis in pancreatic cancer

BackgroundPancreatic cancer (PC), characterized with high growth rate and metastatic rate. It's urgently necessary to explore new mechanism of PC. Circular RNA/miRNA/mRNA network was widely reported to participate in the cancer progression.Methods In this research, circular RNA CDR1as (circCDR1as) was identified by microarray analysis and detected in pancreatic cancer (PC) tissues and cells. Transwell, colony-forming assay, nude mouse tumorigenicity assay were used to determine the function of circCDR1as in PC. Western blot, dual luciferase reporting test were applied to investigate the mechanism.ResultsWe found that circCDR1as was highly expressed in PC tissues. The levels of circCDR1as in PC tissues and cells were higher than those in controls. CircCDR1as promoted the migration, invasion and proliferation of PC cells in vitro and tumor growth in vivo via mediating E2F3 expression by sponging miR-432-5p.ConclusionsIn conclusion, circCDR1as could promote the development of PC and might be a novel diagnostic target for PC.

Automated summary

The circular RNA CDR1as (circCDR1as) is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues, promoting the migration, invasion, and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. It mediates E2F3 expression by sponging miR-432-5p, suggesting it could be a novel diagnostic target for pancreatic cancer.