hsa_circ_0072309 Inhibits Oncogenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Epigenetic Activation of its Host Gene

Recently, numerous studies have revealed the participation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancer progression. Likewise, this research focused on circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A lowly expressed circRNA hsa_circ_0072309 in HCC was screened by analyzing the circRNA microarray GSE242797 and GSE216115 and identified in clinical specimens and cells. Subsequently, CCK-8, colony formation, and transwell assays were performed. The results revealed that hsa_circ_0072309 overexpression suppressed HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and sorafenib resistance, whereas its suppression showed opposite results. Mechanistic investigation found an interaction between hsa_circ_0072309 and its host gene leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) in HCC. We found that LIFR overexpression promoted the hsa_circ_0072309 formation. In turn, hsa_circ_0072309 recruited the E1A binding protein p300 to promote the enrichment of H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac) in the LIFR enhancer, thus transcriptionally promoting LIFR expression. To conclude, we revealed a hsa_circ_0072309/LIFR regulatory loop in HCC, which may provide a potential target for HCC treatment.