Abstract
Circular RNA (circRNA) serves as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of breast cancer (BC). However, compared to other noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), research on circRNA in BC is still in its infancy. Through the analysis of circRNA datasets in the GEO database, hsa_circ_0001314, which is upregulated in BC, was selected as the focus of this study. RT-qPCR analysis showed that hsa_circ_0001314 was significantly upregulated in BC tissues and cells. Subsequently, the biological functions of hsa_circ_0001314 in BC cells were examined through CCK-8, wound healing, transwell invasion, and flow cytometry analyses. The research demonstrated that knocking down the expression level of hsa_circ_0001314 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities while notably promoting cell apoptosis. Bioinformatics methods were used to predict downstream miRNAs and mRNAs that may interact with hsa_circ_0001314, constructing a ceRNA regulatory network related to hsa_circ_0001314. RT-qPCR confirmed that hsa_circ_0001314 functions as a sponge for hsa-miR-548aj-3p, competitively binding to hsa-miR-548aj-3p to activate the MAPK signaling pathway and regulate the expression of MAPK8 and MAP3K1. The findings uncover the potential of hsa_circ_0001314 as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for BC patients.