Circ_0051428 targeting miR-885-3p/MMP2 axis enhances the malignancy of cervical cancer

Abstract

Abstract Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are key regulators of cervical cancer (CC) progression. This study aimed to elucidate the role and mechanism of circ_0051428, a novel circRNA, in CC tumorigenesis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analyses confirmed that circ_0051428 and matrix metalloprotein-2 (MMP2) were overexpressed in CC, whereas the microRNA miR-885-3p was poorly expressed. After performing a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, circ_0051428 knockdown was shown to repress CC cell invasion and proliferation in vitro, and hamper tumor formation in vivo. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation experiments verified that circ_0051428 interacts with miR-885-3p to regulate the target gene MMP2 of miR-885-3p in CC. In addition, miR-885-3p knockdown offset the anticancer effects of circ_0051428 or MMP2 knockdown on CC cell malignancy. Overall, this study revealed that circ_0051428 executes a tumor-promoting function in CC pathogenesis by modulating the miR-885-3p/MMP2 axis. Our findings provide a novel approach for CC treatment.