Overexpressed circ_0029426 in glioblastoma forecasts unfavorable prognosis and promotes cell progression by sponging miR‐197

Accumulating studies indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an imperative role in modulating cancer progression and metastasis. In the previous study, elevated circ_0029426 was first observed in glioblastoma (GBM) tissues compared with normal tissues by circRNA microarray. Our aim is to study the function and mechanism of circ_0029426 in GBM. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect relative circ_0029426 expression in GBM tissue samples and cells. Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate the expression of circ_0029426 and clinical parameters.The Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox regression were analyzed to evaluate the link between circ_0029426 expression and the overall survival of patients with GBM. Loss/gain‐of function experiments were performed to measure GBM cell growth, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Dual luciferase reporter assays were applied to detect the binding ability between circ_0029426 and miR‐197. As a result, the circ_0029426 expression is tightly correlated with patients’ clinical severity and prognosis. Functionally, circ_0029426 strikingly promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR‐197 was predicted and verified to be sponged by circ_0029426. More importantly, the oncogenic functions of circ_0029426 are partially attributed to its suppression on miR‐197. Collectively, circ_0029426 may be taken as a potential therapeutic target for GBM.