Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have confirmed to participate in diverse biological functions in cancer. However, the expression patterns of circRNAs on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. In the present study, we clarified that hsa_circRNA_104348 was dramatically upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Patients with HCC displaying high hsa_circRNA_104348 level possessed poor prognosis. Has_circ_104348 facilitated proliferation, migration, and invasion, meanwhile suppressed apoptosis of HCC cell. Furthermore, hsa_circRNA_104348 directly targeted miR-187–3p, could regulate miR-187-3p to affect proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of HCC cells, and may have effect on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Moreover, RTKN2 could be a direct target of miR-187-3p. In addition, knockdown of hsa_circRNA_104348 attenuated HCC tumorigenesis and lung metastasis in vivo. Taken together, these findings indicated that circular RNA hsa_circRNA_104348 might function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to promotes HCC progression by targeting miR-187–3p/RTKN2 axis and activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Exosomes have emerged as a novel approach for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer after RNA content was discovered in exosomes in 2007. As important meditators of intercellular communication, exosomes have become a strong focus of investigation for researchers in the past decade, as witnessed through the exponential increase of research on exosomes. The capability of exosomes to transfer functionally active cargo highlights their importance as promising biomarkers and diagnostic molecules, as well as prospective drug delivery systems. The accessibility of exosomes in nearly all biofluids additionally alludes to its unprecedented ability in various types of cancers due to its extensive impact on tumor formation and progression. This review analyzes the role of exosomal long RNA species, which is comprised of mRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA, in tumor formation and progression, with an emphasis on their potential as future diagnostic biomarkers and treatment vectors in cancer biology. Their alignment with the development of exosomal databases is further examined in this review, in view of the accumulation of studies published on exosomes in the past decade.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12943-018-0823-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

PURPOSE To evaluate anterior chamber biometric factors associated with the degree of angle widening and intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction after phacoemulsification. SETTING University of California, San Francisco, California, USA. DESIGN Case series. METHODS Anterior chamber parameters obtained by anterior segment coherence tomography were compared preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. Measurements included the angle opening distance 500 μm anterior to the scleral spur (AOD500), trabecular–iris space area 500 μm from the scleral spur (TISA500), iris curvature (I-Curv), anterior chamber angle (ACA), trabecular–iris space area, anterior chamber volume, anterior chamber width, and lens vault (LV). RESULTS The study enrolled 73 eyes. The mean patient age was 77.45 years ± 7.84 (SD); 65.75% of patients were women. From preoperatively to 3 months postoperatively, the mean AOD500 increased significantly (0.254 ± 0.105 to 0.433 ± 0.108 mm) and the mean IOP decreased significantly (14.97 ± 3.35 to 12.62 ± 3.37 mm Hg) (P < .001). The reduction in IOP was correlated with the increase in AOD500 (r = 0.240, P = .041) and preoperative LV (r = 0.235, P = .045). After adjusting for related factors, AOD500 widening was positively correlated with LV (β = 0.458, P = .044) and I-Curv (β = 0.235, P = .043) and negatively correlated with preoperative TISA500 (β = −0.269, P = .025) and ACA (β = −0.919, P = .027). CONCLUSIONS Surgically induced AOD widening was significantly correlated with anterior chamber biometric factors. Preoperative LV appears to be a significant factor in angle widening and IOP reduction after phacoemulsification.