Circular RNAcircRNA_101996 promoted cervical cancer development by regulating miR‐1236‐3p/TRIM37axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) appear to be significant modulators in various physiological processes. Recently, it is found that circRNA_101996 exerts important roles in various cancers. Our previous studies showed that circRNA_101996 promoted cervical cancer growth and metastasis by regulating miR‐8075/TPX2. However, the potential regulatory role of circRNA_101996 in cervical cancer still needs further investigation. Our results in this study suggested that circRNA_101996 was over‐expressed in cervical cancer patients. circRNA_101996 up‐regulation remarkably assisted cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and cell migration in cervical cancer, while circRNA_101996 knockdown exerted the inverse effects. The molecular investigations indicated that circRNA_101996 could increase the expression level of miR‐1236‐3p, tripartite motif‐containing 37 (TRIM37), through binding to miR‐1236‐3p and reducing its expression. Moreover, in vivo results demonstrated that circRNA_101996 shRNA can function as a tumor suppressor through down‐regulating TRIM37 in cervical cancer. In conclusion, our data indicated that circRNA_101996/miR‐1236‐3p/TRIM37 axis accelerated cervical cancer development, providing novel insights into cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment.