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Hsa_circ_0009128 mediates progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma by influencing MMP9.

OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study was to explore the role and mechanism of an abnormally expressed circRNA (hsa_circ_0009128) in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
We conducted quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to assess the expression of hsa_circ_0009128 in 51 paired OSCC tissues and analyzed the correlation between clinical features and aberrant expression of hsa_circ_0009128 in OSCC. CCK8 assays, colony formation assays, transwell assays, and wound healing assays were used to analyze the effect of hsa_circ_0009128 on cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were evaluated by Western Blotting.


RESULTS
Hsa_circ_0009128 was upregulated in both OSCC tissues and cell lines, and high hsa_circ_0009128 correlated with advanced TNM stage (P=0.046) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.018) in OSCC patients. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0009128 inhibited cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0009128 downregulation decreased EMT in OSCC cells as shown by increased levels of E-cadherin and decreased N-cadherin, Vimentin, and MMP9.


CONCLUSIONS
The circRNA hsa_circ_0009128 correlates with malignant progression of OSCC. Hsa_circ_0009128 stimulates proliferation and migration in OSCC cells by targeting MMP9 to activate EMT.