Circ_0007919 exerts an anti-tumor role in colorectal cancer through targeting miR-942–5p/TET1 axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are key regulators in the development of many cancers. The present study was aimed to investigate the mechanism by which circ_0007919 affected colorectal cancer (CRC) progression.The differentially expressed circRNA was screened out by analyzing the expression profile of circRNAs of CRC tissues. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed for detecting the expressions of circ_0007919, miR-942-5p, and ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) mRNA in CRC tissues and cell lines. Cell growth and migration were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and scratch assays. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were conducted to predict and validate the targeted relationships between circ_0007919 and miR-942-5p, as well as between miR-942-5p and TET1 mRNA. Besides, Western blot was conducted for detecting TET1 protein expression in CRC cells. It was revealed that, in CRC tissues and cell lines, circ_0007919 and TET1 expressions were reduced whereas miR-942-5p expression was enhanced. It was also revealed that circ_0007919 overexpression markedly suppressed CRC cell growth and migration. In addition, circ_0007919 could competitively bind with miR-942-5p to increase the expression of miR-942-5p's target gene TET1. Collectively, circ_0007919 inhibits CRC cell growth and migration via regulating the miR-942-5p/TET1 axis. This study helps to better understand the molecular mechanism of CRC progression.