Circular RNA circ0001955 promotes cervical cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis via the miR-188-3p/NCAPG2 axis

AbstractBackground Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are known to play a crucial role in a variety of malignancies. However, the precise role of circRNAs in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) remains largely unknown. Methods The expression of circ0001955 was determined by real-time quantitative PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization. To examine the effects of circ0001955 on CSCC metastasis and growth, functional experiments were conducted in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, nucleocytoplasmic separation, dual luciferase reporter assay, RNA antisense purification experiments, and rescue experiments were performed to confirm the interaction between circ0001955, miR-188-3p, and NCAPG2 in CSCC. Results Here, we demonstrated that a circRNA derived from the CSNK1G1 gene (circ0001955) is significantly upregulated in CSCC. The overexpression of circ0001955 promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo, whereas the knockdown of circ0001955 exerts the opposite effects. Mechanistically, circ0001955 competitively sponges miR-188-3p and prevents miR-188-3p from reducing the levels of NCAPG2 and activating the AKT-mTOR signaling pathway involved in the proliferation and epithelial mesenchymal transformation. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that circ0001955 plays a vital role in the development and metastasis of CSCC, suggesting that it may serve as a therapeutic target in CSCC.