AUTHOR=Li Xianghui , Li Zhiyan , Liu Ping , Ai Shichao , Sun Feng , Hu Qiongyuan , Dong Yuxiang , Xia Xuefeng , Guan Wenxian , Liu Song TITLE=Novel CircRNAs in Hub ceRNA Axis Regulate Gastric Cancer Prognosis and Microenvironment JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine VOLUME=8 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.771206 DOI=10.3389/fmed.2021.771206 ISSN=2296-858X ABSTRACT=

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies with an unfavorable survival rate. Immunotherapy may contribute to a better prognosis. However, several phase III trials failed. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel type of non-coding RNA, plays a vital role in the progression of tumors. The expression and function of circRNA in the GC immune microenvironment remain obscure. In this study, we utilized a bioinformatic analysis to construct a circRNA/microRNA (miRNA)/messenger RNA (mRNA) network involved in the progression and prognosis of GC. CircRNA DYRK1A_017, circRNA FLNA_118, miR-6512-3p, miR-6270-5p, and VCAN were identified as the key molecules in the hub regulatory axis. Dysregulation of this axis contributed to the cancer-associated signaling pathways (epithelial-mesenchymal transition [EMT], Nuclear factor kappa β-Tumor necrosis factor-α (NFκβ-TNFα) signaling, and angiogenesis) and aberrant immune microenvironment (infiltration by tumor associated macrophage, regulatory T cell, and mast cell). More importantly, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment may reveal the mechanism of novel circRNAs in tumors and serve as the target of immunotherapy.