The roles and pathways of Hsa_circ_0000285 in cancer: a potential target for cancer therapy

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a unique type of non-coding RNA molecule characterized by a closed circular structure, exceptional stability, and the ability to act as miRNA sponges, thereby relieving their inhibitory effects on downstream target genes, thus regulating cancer cell growth and metastasis. Circ_0000285 is one of the recently discovered circRNAs. It is aberrantly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, bladder cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, osteosarcoma, thyroid cancer, glioma, cervical cancer, and neuroblastoma, predominantly exhibiting upregulation. Abnormal expression of circ_0000285 is significantly associated with cancer cell growth, metastasis, and poor prognosis in cancer patients, a process mediated by circ_0000285 acting as sponges for miR-582-3p, miR-1278, miR-409-3p, miR-599, miR-127-5p, miR‑654-3p, and miR197-3p to promote the expression of downstream target genes or directly regulate target gene expression. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the expression, function, mechanisms, and association with poor prognostic features in cancer patients of circ_0000285, offering novel candidate target molecules for the treatment of cancer.