Abstract
Circular RNA hsa_circ_0002024 has been reported to be underexpressed in bladder cancer (BC). However, the biological role of hsa_circ_0002024 in BC and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the expression levels of hsa_circ_0002024 and miR-197-3p were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The proliferation abilities of EJ and T24 cells were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine assays. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by transwell migration and invasion assays. Luciferase reporter assay and rescue experiments were conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanism of hsa_circ_0002024. We found that the expression of hsa_circ_0002024 was downregulated, but that of miR-197-3p was upregulated in BC tissues and cell lines. Upregulation of hsa_circ_0002024 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of EJ and T24 cells. Hsa_circ_0002024 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-197-3p. In addition, we found that restoration of miR-197-3p expression could abolish hsa_circ_0002024-mediated inhibition of BC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that hsa_circ_0002024 suppresses cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in BC by sponging miR-197-3p.