The Circular RNA circFOXK2 Enhances the Tumorigenesis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Through the miR-149-3p/IL-6 Axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are the non-coding types of RNAs and are thoughts to be linked with human cancer progression. circFOXK2 is believed to be associated with cancers, however, the molecular mechanisms of circFOXK2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are still unclear. Here we firstly reported that circFOXK2 enhances the tumorigenesis of NSCLC through the miR-149-3p/IL-6 axis. The expression of circFOXK2, microRNA-149-3p (miR-149-3p) and IL-6 were assessed by qRT-PCR and western blot. Transwell, colony formation, wound healing, and CCK-8 assays were used to elucidate NSCLC cells' proliferation, migration, and invasion. MiR-149-3p interaction with circFOXK2 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay (DLRGA). Furthermore, the biological effect of circFOXK2 on NSCLC progression was detected by tumor xenograft assay. CircFOXK2 were upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cells, miR-149-3p were downregulated in NSCLC tissues and cells. In addition, circFOXK2 stimulated NSCLC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Mechanical analysis indicated that circFOXK2 modulated IL-6 via miR-149-3p sponging. Furthermore, circFOXK2 overexpression promoted tumor growth in vivo. Overall, this research verified that circFOXK2 enhances the tumorigenesis of NSCLC through the miR-149-3p/IL-6 axis.