KLF16 诱导的 circFOXO3 通过海绵吸附 miR-29a-3p 和 miR-122-5p 调控透明细胞肾细胞癌生长及 NK 细胞细胞毒性活性

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common urological malignancies with high incidence and metastatic relapse. Clear cell RCC (ccRCC) comprises nearly 70% of all RCC cases and is responsible for the majority of morbidity and mortality of RCC. Due to the poor diagnosis strategy and unsatisfactory clinical intervention, ccRCC causes a huge economic burden and poor patient quality of life; therefore, novel diagnostic or therapeutic targets for ccRCC are urgently needed.

This study investigated the biological role of circFOXO3 in ccRCC development, showing that circFOXO3 is highly expressed in RCC cells and tissues and inhibits the viability of ccRCC cells. circFOXO3 dysregulation regulates NK cell cytotoxicity towards RCC cells by directly sponging miR-29a-3p and miR-122-5p. Overexpression of miR-29a-3p or miR-122-5p attenuated NK cell toxicity towards RCC cells and the transcriptional factor Kruppel-Like Factor 16 (KLF16) regulates circFOXO3 expression in RCC cells.

In conclusion, this study has partially elucidated the function of circFOXO3 in ccRCC development, providing potential novel therapeutic targets for ccRCC.