circ_0001461 promotes oral squamous cell carcinoma progression through miR-145/TLR4/NF-kB axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been widely reported to participate in progression of various cancers, including oral cancer. Previous study showed circ_0001461 was aberrantly expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), while its role in tumorigenesis of OSCC remains largely unclear. In this study, we confirmed that circ_0001461 was highly expressed in OSCC cell lines and tumor tissues. Knocking down of circ_0001461 suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, and repress xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, we found circ_0001461 regulates OSCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion through sponging miR-145. Furthermore, circ_0001461 promotes the resistance of TNF-a-induced apoptosis of OSCC cells by modulating miR-145/TLR4/NF-kB pathway. In general, our study demonstrated a novel regulatory mechanism that circ_0001461/miR-145/TLR4/NF-kB axis modulates oral squamous cell carcinoma progression. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, circ_0001461 was found to regulate cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by sponging miR-145, and to promote resistance to TNF-a-induced apoptosis by modulating the miR-145/TLR4/NF-kB pathway. These findings provide insights into the novel regulatory mechanism of circ_0001461 in OSCC progression.