TY - JOUR AB - Circular RNAs (circRNAs) serve important roles in tumorigenesis and may be used as novel molecular biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. However, the role and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in cervical cancer (CC) remain unknown. In the present study, circRNA isoform of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4γ2 (circEIF4G2) was revealed to be significantly upregulated in CC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, increased expression of circEIF4G2 was associated with poor prognosis in patients with CC. circEIF4G2 knockdown suppressed the malignant features of CC cells, including cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion. Additionally, circEIF4G2 was identified to serve as a sponge for microRNA‑218 (miR‑218), which targeted homeobox A1 (HOXA1). Furthermore, circEIF4G2 may increase the expression levels of HOXA1 by sponging miR‑218. Rescue experiments suggested that transfection with a miR‑218 inhibitor attenuated the inhibitory effects of circEIF4G2 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, silencing HOXA1 reversed the effects of the miR‑218 inhibitor on CC cells. Collectively, the present findings suggested that circEIF4G2 promoted cell proliferation and migration via the miR‑218/HOXA1 pathway. AD - Department of Gynecology, The Second People's Hospital of Wuhu, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, P.R. China Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, P.R. China AU - Mao,Yifan AU - Zhang,Liya AU - Li,Yuan DA - 2019/05/01 DO - 10.3892/mmr.2019.10032 EP - 3722 IS - 5 JO - Mol Med Rep KW - cervical cancer circular RNA isoform of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4γ2 microRNA‑218 homeobox A1 proliferation PY - 2019 SN - 1791-2997 1791-3004 SP - 3714 ST - circEIF4G2 modulates the malignant features of cervical cancer via the miR‑218/HOXA1 pathway T2 - Molecular Medicine Reports TI - circEIF4G2 modulates the malignant features of cervical cancer via the miR‑218/HOXA1 pathway UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2019.10032 VL - 19 ER -