Upregulation of circular RNA circ_0034642 indicates unfavorable prognosis in glioma and facilitates cell proliferation and invasion via the miR-1205/BATF3 axis.

Accumulating studies demonstrate the critical role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the pathogenesis of various types of cancers. Previously, hsa_circ_0034642 has been found elevated in glioma tissues compared with the normal tissues, as proved by high-throughput microarray. We further investigated its expression level in 52 paired tissues and different glioma cell lines by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In addition, Fisher's exact test, Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox analyses were performed to elucidate the clinical significance of hsa_circ_0034642. For the part of functional assays, gain/loss-of-function assays were conducted to measure cell growth, apoptosis, and metastatic properties affected by hsa_circ_0034642. Furthermore, the mechanisms of hsa_circ_0034642 were investigated by dual-luciferase reporter assays. As the results demonstrated, hsa_circ_0034642 was boosted in glioma tissues and cells. Overexpression of hsa_circ_0034642 was associated with clinical severity and poor prognosis. What is more, elevated hsa_circ_0034642 strikingly facilitated cell proliferation, migratory and invasive capacities, and decreased apoptotic cells. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0034642 sponges miR-1205. miR-1205 regulates BATF3 level through targeting its 3'-untranslated region. In summary, hsa_circ_0034642 might play a key role in this malignancy.