CircDUSP16 mediates the effect of triple-negative breast cancer in pirarubicin via the miR-1224-3p/TFDP2 axis.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive molecular subtype of breast cancer characterized by a high recurrence rate, poor prognosis, and elevated mortality. Identifying novel molecular targets is crucial for developing more effective therapeutic strategies against TNBC. Recent studies have highlighted the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the progression of TNBC. In this study, we identified and validated that circDUSP16 (hsa_circ_0003855) is significantly upregulated in TNBC cells, tissues, and plasma exosomes. Functional assays in vitro demonstrated that overexpression of circDUSP16 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of TNBC cells, weathers circDUSP16 knockdown exerted the opposite effect. In vivo studies confirmed that circDUSP16 knockdown can inhibit tumor growth. Using bioinformatics analysis, circDUSP16/miR-1224-3p/TFDP2 pathway was predicted and cascaded. Mechanistically, circDUSP16 was shown to promote the progression of TNBC via the miR-1224-3p/TFDP2 axis. Additionally, THP, a commonly used anthracycline chemotherapy drug, was found to downregulate circDUSP16, suggesting that its therapeutic effects on TNBC may be mediated through circDUSP16/miR-1224-3p/TFDP2 pathway. Our findings suggest that circDUSP16 is a promising biomarker and potential therapeutic target for TNBC.