# Circ0060467 sponges miR-6805 to promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression through regulating AIFM2 and GPX4 expression

## TL;DR

This study shows that the circular RNA circ0060467 promotes liver cancer by blocking a microRNA, which helps cancer cells survive.

## Contribution

The study reveals a novel mechanism where circ0060467 acts as a sponge for miR-6805 to regulate ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

## Key findings

- circ0060467 is significantly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and cell lines.
- circ0060467 inhibits miR-6805, which in turn regulates AIFM2 and GPX4 to prevent ferroptosis in cancer cells.
- Knockdown of circ0060467 reduces HCC cell proliferation and promotes cancer cell death.

## Abstract

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent a subset of non-coding RNAs implicated in the regulation of diverse biological processes, including tumorigenesis. However, the expression and functional implications of circ0060467 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of circ0060467 in modulating the progression of HCC.

Methods: Differentially expressed circRNAs in HCC tissues were identified through circRNA microarray assays. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays revealed the upregulation of circ0060467 in both HCC cell lines and tissues. Various assays were conducted to investigate the roles of circ0060467 in HCC progression. Additionally, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays and luciferase assays were carried out to assess the interactions between circ0060467, microRNA-6085 (miR-6085), apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria-associated 2 (AIFM2), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in HCC.

Results: Microarray and qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated a marked elevation of circ0060467 in HCC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of circ0060467 suppressed HCC cell proliferation. Luciferase reporter and RIP assays confirmed the binding of circ0060467, AIFM2, and GPX4 to miR-6805. Subsequent experiments revealed that circ0060467 competes with AIFM2 and GPX4, thereby inhibiting cancer cell ferroptosis by binding to miR-6085 and promoting hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

Conclusions: Collectively, circ0060467 modulates the levels of AIFM2 and GPX4, crucial regulators of tumor cell ferroptosis, by acting as a sponge for miR-6085 in HCC. Thus, circ0060467 may represent a novel diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC.