Furthermore, overexpressed circEPS15 could act as a miR-24-3p sponge, inhibit miR-24-3p expression in 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridine (MPP+)-treated human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y cells), upregulate the expression of the target gene PINK1, decrease the protein level of SQSTM1/p62, upregulate LC3 expression, and enhance PINK1-Parkin-dependent mitophagy, which subsequently upregulated Bcl-2 and TOMM20 expression, and reduced BAX and Cleaved-Caspase-9 expression, preventing MPP+-induced neuronal damage. The gene discussed is PINK1; the disease is neuroblastoma.