ArticleThe Journal of clinical investigation2021
Circular RNA cia-MAF drives self-renewal and metastasis of liver tumor-initiating cells via transcription factor MAFF.
Article in The Journal of clinical investigation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers.
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Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 107 citations in OpenAlex.
- SNORA49 negatively regulates self-renewal of liver cancer stem cells and hepatocarcinogenesis via suppressing SOX9 transcription.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Circular RNAs in hepatitis B virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma: A comprehensive review and recent advances.Genes & diseases · 2025Review
- Extracellular vesicle-mediated transmission of circPDLIM5 promotes lymphatic metastasis in prostate cancer.Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR · 2025Article
- The emerging functions and clinical implications of circRNAs in acute myeloid leukaemia.Cancer cell international · 2025Review
- Circular RNAs in cancer stem cells: Insights into their roles and mechanisms (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2025Review
- The role of liver cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis.Cancer biology & therapy · 2024Review
- HDAC6 promotes inflammation in lupus nephritis mice by regulating transcription factors MAFF and KLF5 in renal fibrosis.Renal failure · 2024Article
- Unraveling the crosstalk: circRNAs and the wnt signaling pathway in cancers of the digestive system.Non-coding RNA research · 2024Review
- Circular RNAs in tumor immunity and immunotherapy.Molecular cancer · 2024Review
- SNORD88B-mediated WRN nucleolar trafficking drives self-renewal in liver cancer initiating cells and hepatocarcinogenesis.Nature communications · 2024Article
- CircUBA2 promotes the cancer stem cell-like properties of gastric cancer through upregulating STC1 via sponging miR-144-5p.Cancer cell international · 2024Article
- Assessment of disease control rate and safety of sorafenib in targeted therapy for advanced liver cancer.World journal of surgical oncology · 2024Article
- IGF2BP2-m6A-circMMP9 axis recruits ETS1 to promote TRIM59 transcription in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Crosstalk between colorectal CSCs and immune cells in tumorigenesis, and strategies for targeting colorectal CSCs.Experimental hematology & oncology · 2024Review
- Exploring the evolving roles and clinical significance of circRNAs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.Journal of Cancer · 2024Review
- Crosstalk Between circRNA and Tumor Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Mechanism, Function and Applications.OncoTargets and therapy · 2024Review
- Noncoding RNAs in tumorigenesis and tumor therapy.Fundamental research · 2023Review
- Enhancement of TKI sensitivity in lung adenocarcinoma through m6A-dependent translational repression of Wnt signaling by circ-FBXW7.Molecular cancer · 2023Article
- The Novel-Natural-Killer-Cell-Related Gene Signature Predicts the Prognosis and Immune Status of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- mcPGK1-dependent mitochondrial import of PGK1 promotes metabolic reprogramming and self-renewal of liver TICs.Nature communications · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Liver tumor-initiating cells (TICs) are involved in liver tumorigenesis, metastasis, drug resistance, and relapse, but the regulatory mechanisms of liver TICs are largely unknown. Here, we have identified a functional circular RNA, termed circRNA activating MAFF (cia-MAF), that is robustly expressed in liver cancer and liver TICs. cia-MAF-KO primary cells and cia-maf-KO liver tumors harbor decreased ratios of TICs, and display impaired liver tumorigenesis, self-renewal, and metastatic capacities. In contrast, cia-MAF overexpression drives liver TIC propagation, self-renewal, and metastasis. Mechanistically, cia-MAF binds to the MAFF promoter, recruits the TIP60 complex to the MAFF promoter, and finally promotes MAFF expression. Loss of cia-MAF function attenuates the combination between the TIP60 complex and the MAFF promoter. MAFF is highly expressed in liver tumors and liver TICs, and its antisense oligo (ASO) has therapeutic potential in treating liver cancer without MAFA/MAFG gene copy number alterations (CNAs). This study reveals an additional layer for liver TIC regulation as well as circRNA function, and provides an additional target for eliminating liver TICs, especially for liver tumors without MAFA/MAFG gene CNAs.
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