Hsa_circ_0068307 mediates bladder cancer stem cell-like properties via miR-147/c-Myc axis regulation

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an essential role in the regulation of gene expression. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the role of hsa_circ_0068307 in bladder cancer (BCa). METHODS: Rt-qPCR was used to detect hsa_circ_0068307 expression in BCa cell lines. The CCK8, colony formation, and Transwell assays were used to evaluate the effect of hsa_circ_0068307 on BCa cell migration and proliferation. Bioinformatics and luciferase reporter experiments were used to study the regulatory mechanism. Nude mouse xenografts were generated to examine the effect of hsa_circ_0068307 on tumor growth. RESULTS: The results showed that hsa_circ_0068307 was upregulated in BCa cell lines. Downregulation of hsa_circ_0068307 suppressed cell migration and proliferation in T24 and UMUC3 cells. Hsa_circ_0068307 silencing suppressed cancer stem cell differentiation by upregulating miR-147 expression. Upregulation of miR-147 suppressed c-Myc expression, which is involved in cancer stem cell differentiation. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that hsa_circ_0068307 upregulated c-Myc expression by targeting miR-147. In vivo studies showed that hsa_circ_0068307 knockdown suppressed T24 tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that downregulation of hsa_circ_0068307 reversed the stem cell-like properties of human bladder cancer through the regulation of the miR-147/c-Myc axis.