Evaluation of prognostic usefulness of long noncoding RNA GAS5 and FAL1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma

FAL1: A critical oncogenic long non-coding RNA in human cancers

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are characterized as a group of endogenous RNAs that are more than 200 nucleotides in length and have no protein-encoding function. More and more evidence indicates that lncRNAs play vital roles in various human diseases, especially in tumorigenesis. Focally amplified lncRNA on chromosome 1 (FAL1), a novel lncRNA with enhancer-like activity, has been identified as an oncogene in multiple cancers and high expression level of FAL1 is usually associated with poor prognosis. Dysregulation of FAL1 has been shown to promote the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. In the present review, we summarized and illustrated the functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of FAL1 in the occurrence and development of different cancers and other diseases. FAL1 has the potential to appear as a feasible diagnostic and prognostic tool and new therapeutic target for cancer patients though further investigation is needed so as to accelerate clinical application.

FALEC exerts oncogenic properties to regulate cell proliferation and cell-cycle in endometrial cancer

Focally amplified lncRNA on chromosome 1 (FALEC) is novel lncRNA located in a focal amplicon on chromosome 1q21.2, and has been identified as an oncogenic properties in a variety of human cancers. However, there was no report about the expression pattern and biological function of FALEC in endometrial cancer. In our research, FALEC expression was increased in endometrial cancer tissue samples and cell lines compared with corresponding paracancerous normal tissue samples and cell line, respectively. Furthermore, we investigated the clinical significance of FALEC in endometrial cancer patients, and found endometrial cancer patients with advanced clinical stage or large tumor size had higher levels of FALEC expression than those with early clinical stage or small tumor size. The in vitro studies showed silencing of FALEC expression inhibited cell proliferation and arrested cell cycle at G0/G1. In conclusion, FALEC is overexpressed in endometrial cancer tissues and cells, and involved in regulating cell proliferation and cell-cycle.

Up-regulation of long non-coding RNA-PCAT-1 promotes invasion and metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Long non-coding RNA prostate cancer associated transcript-1 ncRNA (lncRNA-PCAT-1) plays an important role in the progression of prostate cancer. The present investigation was aimed to evaluate the potential roles of the lncRNA-PCAT-1 gene expression changes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) between Iranian population. In the case-control investigation, we have analyzed a total of 150 fresh tissue samples, compromising of 75 cancerous tissues and 75 adjacent normal tissues from patients with ESCC. We used quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to evaluate the lncRNA-PCAT-1 gene expression levels in ESCC patients and correlation between the lncRNA-PCAT-1 expression changes and clinical characteristics. Our findings showed that the lncRNA-PCAT-1 gene was up-regulated in cancerous tissues compared with the adjacent non-cancerous tissues (p=0.0016). In addition, the results revealed a significant correlation between up-regulating of lncRNA-PCAT-1 and hot liquid drinking (p =0.017). These findings offer the potential roles of lncRNA-PCAT-1 in the pathogenesis of ESCC and may consider as a candidate prognostic biomarker for ESCC in an Iranian population.