• Clinical significance of mitochondrial genome-derived circRNA hsa_circ_0002363 in triple negative breast cancer
  • Zahra Firoozi,1 Mohammadreza Sharifi,2 Yaser Mansoori,3 Abdolreza Daraei,4 Rasoul Salehi,5,*
    1. Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
    2. Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
    3. Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
    4. Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
    5. Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.


  • Introduction: One kind of breast cancer that spreads very quickly is triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). A recently identified family of circular RNAs (circRNAs) known as mitochondrial-genome encoded circular RNAs (mecciRNAs) is involved in a number of cancer types and has significant biological functions. Examining the expression profile of hsa_circ_0002363 in TNBC and its relationship with clinicopathological factors was the goal of this investigation.
  • Methods: Following RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, the expression levels of hsa_circ_0002363 was examined using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in 20 pairs of TNBC samples, including 20 tumor samples and 20 neighboring non-tumoral samples from patients. The relationship between hsa_circ_0002363 expression and clinicopathological factors was then evaluated. To further assess the diagnostic performance of this mecciRNA, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was carried out.
  • Results: Hsa_circ_0002363 expression levels are greater in the malignancies than in the nearby normal tissues. Analysis of the data revealed that hsa_circ_0002363 expression was significantly greater in patients with tumors bigger than 2.5 cm. According to ROC curve study, hsa_circ_0002363 may be a biomarker for TNBC.
  • Conclusion: According to our results, hsa_circ_0002363 may function as an oncogene in TNBC, and the pathogenesis of this cancer may be significantly influenced by its dysregulation. Its outstanding diagnostic performance and significant connection with tumor size underscore its potential as a novel biomarker for TNBC detection and prognosis. To clarify its specific involvement in TNBC carcinogenesis and clinical application, further functional research is needed.
  • Keywords: Mitochondria, mecciRNA, TNBC