TGFB1 and colorectal carcinoma: CircRNAs, as endogenous RNA molecules for miRNA sponges, regulate multiple biological processes by directly binding to targeted miRNAs.33,34 For example, circFMN2 promoted CRC cell proliferation via regulating the miR-1182/hTERT axis.35 As demonstrated by Shang A, et al., CRC-derived exosome circPACRGL could facilitate the progression of CRC cells through regulating the miR-142-3p/miR-506-3p-TGF-β1 pathway.15 In our work, starbase was used to predict the targeted miRNAs of circN4BP2L2, and Starbase, TargetScan and miRWalk were used to predict the targeted miRNAs of HMGB3.