circRNA basic information
circBase ID: hsa_circ_0042881
Name: hsa_circ_NF1
Synonym: circ_0042881 / circNF1
Host Gene: NF1
Genomic location(hg19): chr17:29483000-29509683:+
Genomic location(hg38): chr17:31155982-31182665:+
Subcellular localization: nucleus and cytoplasm
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disease basic information
MONDO ID:
0005580
MONDO name: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Disease details: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / ESCC
Disease DO ID:
3748
Disease MeSH ID:
C562729; D000077277
Disease NCIt ID:
C4024
Disease ICD11 ID:
1417891145
Disease OMIM ID:
-
Species: Human
Species details: Homo sapiens
Tissue specimen:

ESCC tissues; normal adjacent esophagus tissues; serum

Cell lines:

KYSE150; TE1; KYSE70; KYSE450; HEEC; HEK-293 T

In vivo animal model:

cell line-derived xenograft

circRNA-disease information
Expression pattern:
UP
Associated gene: PD-L1, STAT3, p-STAT3, IL-6, ANXA1, USP7
Associated microRNA: -
Biological function: promotes proliferation; promotes migration and invasion; promotes immune evasion; promotes resistance/poor response to anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy
Molecular mechanism: Enhances IL-6-driven JAK-STAT3 activation to promote p-STAT3 binding on PD-L1 promoter and increase PD-L1 transcription; physically binds ANXA1 to block USP7-ANXA1 interaction, shifting USP7 toward PD-L1 deubiquitination to increase PD-L1 stability
Biological pathway or process:

JAK/STAT (promotes); ubiquitination (other); proliferation (promotes); migration (promotes); invasion (promotes); immune regulation (other)

Detected method:
Q
H
M
Validation methods:

Microarray; RT-qPCR; Clinical Sample Validation; RNase R Treatment; Actinomycin D / DRB Stability Assay; Back-Splice Junction PCR / divergent primers PCR; FISH / smFISH; Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Fractionation; RNA-seq; Bioinformatics Analysis; Western Blot; ChIP / ChIP-seq; RIP (RNA Immunoprecipitation); Co-IP; RNA Pull-Down; Transfection; CCK8; EdU Staining; Colony Formation Assay; Transwell Assay; Wound Healing Assay; TUNEL; ELISA; IHC (Immunohistochemistry); In Vivo Animal Model; ROC Analysis; Survival Analysis; ddPCR

Clinical significance:

circNF1 is elevated in ESCC tissues and serum, has diagnostic value (ROC AUC in tissue and serum), correlates with anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy efficacy, and high circNF1 tends to indicate worse overall survival

Description:

circNF1 is upregulated in ESCC tissues and serum and promotes ESCC proliferation, migration/invasion, and immune escape. It increases PD-L1 by activating the IL-6/JAK-STAT3 pathway to enhance PD-L1 transcription and by binding ANXA1 to favor USP7-mediated PD-L1 deubiquitination, stabilizing PD-L1 and reducing CD8+ T-cell antitumor activity. Clinically, higher circNF1 is associated with poorer response to anti-PD-L1 therapy and worse overall survival.

Confidence score:

0.8991

Other information
Title:

CircNF1 modulates the progression and immune evasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through dual regulation of PD-L1.

Journal: Cellular & molecular biology letters
Published: 2025
PubMed ID: 40158127
Study type:

combined biological and clinical study

Data availability: Figshare (https://figshare.com/s/d5c7292621bfb4fa3d5d)
Code availability: -