Hsa_circ_0102899 promotes epithelial–mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer

Objective The significance of circular RNAs (circRNAs) has been identified in the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Consistently, our study probed the functional actions of hsa_circ_0102899 (circ_0102899) in NSCLC cells. Methods circ_0102899 expression was checked in NSCLC tissues, as well as its correlation with clinical characteristics of patients, Using A459 cells, transfection to alter gene expression was performed, thus measuring the changes of proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and apoptosis, as well as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins. circ_0102899’s effects in vivo were validated by tumor xenograft assay. Finally, the regulatory mechanism of circ_0102899 was investigated. Results circ_0102899 indicated a high-expression level in NSCLC tissues which was associated with NSCLC tumor characteristics. Functionally, circ_0102899 knockdown not only inhibited the growth and EMT process of NSCLC cells, but also inhibited tumor formation in vivo . In terms of the regulatory mechanism, circ_0102899 had a binding to miR-885-5p to target eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4γ2 (EIF4G2). circ_0102899 mediated miR-885–5/EIF4G2 axis to accelerate the process of cell malignant behavior in NSCLC. Conclusion circ_0102899 promotes EMT and metastasis in NSCLC by regulating the miR-885-5p/EIF4G2 axis.