hsa_circRNA_101237: A Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker and Potential Therapeutic Target for Multiple Myeloma

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that circular RNA (circRNA) plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of tumors, but the diagnostic and predictive value of most circRNAs in tumor patients remains unclear, especially for multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: High-throughput circRNA microarray-based sequencing was used to identify the differentially expressed circRNAs in MM. qRT-PCR was then employed to detect hsa_circRNA_101237 expression levels in the bone marrow tissues from 143 MM patients (65 first-episode treatment-naive patients and 78 patients with recurrent/refractory disease), MM cells and bortezomib-resistant MM cell lines. Whether hsa_circRNA_101237 can be used as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for MM was investigated. RESULTS: The average expressions of hsa_circRNA_101237 in the bone marrow tissues from MM patients (especially those with recurrent/refractory disease), MM cells and bortezomib-resistant MM cell lines were increased significantly (P<0.01). hsa_circRNA_101237 was overexpressed in patients positive for 13q14 deletion, 1q21 amplification, P53 deletion, and t(4,14) and t(14,16). hsa_circRNA_101237 was closely related to prognosis of the patients, and its high expression was associated with shorter OS and PFS. In addition, those overexpressing hsa_circRNA_101237 were less responsive to bortezomib treatment. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that hsa_circRNA_101237 interacted with 11 miRNAs and 10 candidate mRNAs. This finding may shed new light on the subsequent studies on the working mechanism and functions. CONCLUSION: It was first reported that hsa_circRNA_101237 was significantly upregulated in MM. It was indicated that hsa_circRNA_101237 may be a novel biomarker for MM, and it plays a significant role in the occurrence and development of MM.