Notably, when we treated HCT116 and RKO cells with serum-free media (SFM) (Additional file 1: Figure S1E), Cobalt chloride (Cocl2, a hypoxia mimetic) (Additional file 1: Figure S1F) or TGF-β(Additional file 1: Figure S1G), a key factor involved in cancer progression and metastasis, we found that both hypoxia and TGF-β stimulation promoted expressions of circ-ERBIN, suggesting that circ-ERBIN might be a circular RNA associated with cancer progression. Here, ERBIN is linked to cancer.