Circular RNA hsa_circ_0000034 promotes the progression of retinoblastoma via sponging microRNA-361-3p

Retinoblastoma is the commonest eye cancer occurring in the pediatric population. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are essential regulators of tumorigenesis and development. The current experiment delves into the function and molecular basis of hsa_circ_0000034 in retinoblastoma progression. In the study, these series of experiments noted an upregulation of hsa_circ_0000034 in retinoblastoma cell lines and tissues. Retinoblastoma patients with raised hsa_circ_0000034 expressions were more likely to possess a more progressive International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) stage and optic nerve invasion. hsa_circ_0000034 knockdown caused a marked suppression in the proliferation and invasion of retinoblastoma cells in vitro. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0000034 appeared to serve as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in retinoblastoma through miR-361-3p sponging. In conclusion, our data proved that hsa_circ_0000034 promoted the oncogenicity of retinoblastoma via regulation of miR-361-3p expression, a finding that may contribute toward retinoblastoma therapeutics.