Upregulated circular RNA circ-102004 that promotes cell proliferation in prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers affecting men worldwide. However, the biological functions of circRNAs in PCa are still largely unknown.

METHODS: Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were performed to characterize the circ-102004 expression in both human PCa tissues and cell lines. The apoptosis and cell cycle status of prostate immortalized cell lines that were overexpressed with circ-102004 by transfection was analyzed using flow cytometry. The scratch test and the Transwell assay were conducted to evaluate the ability of transfected cells to migrate and invade. RNA sequencing, pathway analysis, and Western blotting were performed to probe the associations of circ-102004 with the classical cancer signaling pathways after functionally evaluating circ-102004 in a xenograft tumor model.

RESULTS: In the present study, circ-102004 expression was found to be significantly higher in PCa samples than in the matched normal tissues. In functional experiments, circ-102004 is shown to play an oncogenic role in PCa by stimulating cancer cell migration and invasion. Circ-102004 overexpression was also accompanied by significant alterations in many signaling pathways, such as ERK, JNK, and Hedgehog, which are known to cause different types of cancers.

CONCLUSIONS: Circ-102004 is a potential oncogenic gene that regulates the development and progression of PCa. This study provides a scientific basis for targeting circ-102004 for either diagnosis or therapy.