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. CCK‐8 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 elevated 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]