Hsa_circ_0075341 is up-regulated and exerts oncogenic properties by sponging miR-149-5p in cervical cancer

Increasing evidence revealed that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in tumor progression. In the present study, we explored the roles and underlying mechanisms of hsa_circ_0075341 in cervical cancer development. Our data showed that the expression of hsa_circ_0075341 was significantly upregulated and associated with larger tumor size, advanced FIGO stage, and lymph-node metastasis in cervical cancer patients. Hsa_circ_0075341 inhibition reduced cervical cancer cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. In mechanism, hsa_circ_0075341 negatively regulated miR-149-5p in cervical cancer progression. In addition, AURKA was confirmed as a direct target of miR-149-5p in cervical cancer and positively regulated by hsa_circ_0075341. Collectively, our data suggested that hsa_circ_0075341 promoted cervical cancer cell proliferation and invasion through regulating the miR-149-5p/AURKA axis, which provided a novel therapeutic target for cervical cancer treatment.