Silencing of long noncoding RNA LINC00958 prevents tumor initiation of pancreatic cancer by acting as a sponge of microRNA-330-5p to down-regulate PAX8

Synthesis and Regulation of miRNA, Its Role in Oncogenesis, and Its Association with Colorectal Cancer Progression, Diagnosis, and Prognosis

The dysfunction of several types of regulators, including miRNAs, has recently attracted scientific attention for their role in cancer-associated changes in gene expression. MiRNAs are small RNAs of ~22 nt in length that do not encode protein information but play an important role in post-transcriptional mRNA regulation. Studies have shown that miRNAs are involved in tumour progression, including cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and tumour angiogenesis and invasion, and play a complex and important role in the regulation of tumourigenesis. The detection of selected miRNAs may help in the early detection of cancer cells, and monitoring changes in their expression profile may serve as a prognostic factor in the course of the disease or its treatment. MiRNAs may serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as potential therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence for an epigenetic interaction between DNA methylation and miRNA expression in tumours. This article provides an overview of selected miRNAs, which are more frequently expressed in colorectal cancer cells, suggesting an oncogenic nature.

A comprehensive analysis of LINC00958 as a prognostic biomarker for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

This work focused on exploring whether the long intergenic non-protein coding RNA LINC00958 is associated with the prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Associations of the LINC00958 expression level with clinicopathological features of HNSCC were investigated by logistic regression and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to evaluate patient survival. Clinical data and expression profiles were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Associations of patient clinical characteristics with overall survival (OS), progression-free interval (PFI), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model. Immune cell infiltration analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were applied to determine any significant effects of LINC00958. High LINC00958 expression was related to early pT stage (P < 0.01), primary therapy outcome (P < 0.01), HPV status (P < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P < 0.001), and perineural invasion (P < 0.01). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed strong prognostic power for LINC00958 (area under curve = 0.886). High LINC00958 expression predicted poor OS (P = 0.007), DSS (P = 0.036), and PFI (P = 0.040). LINC00958 was related to signalling pathways and the infiltration of certain immune cells. miR-27b-5p was significantly associated with LINC00958, and downstream NT5E predicted poor survival in HNSCC cases. LINC00958 may affect the prognosis by regulating NT5E via miR-27b-5p, and could serve as a possible factor to predict the prognosis of HNSCC, especially oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Long non-coding RNAs and pancreatic cancer: A multifaceted view

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant disease with a 5-year survival rate of only 10%. Families with PC are at greater risk, as are type 2 diabetes, pancreatitis, and other factors. Insufficient early detection methods make this cancer have a poor prognosis. Additionally, the molecular mechanisms underlying PC development remain unclear. Increasing evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to PC pathology,which may control gene expression by recruiting histone modification complexes to chromatin and interacting with proteins and RNAs. In recent studies, abnormal regulation of lncRNAs has been implicated in PC proliferation, metastasis, invasion, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and chemotherapy resistance suggesting potential clinical implications. The paper reviews the progress of lncRNA research in PC about diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, cancer metastasis, tumor microenvironment regulation, and chemoresistance. Furthermore, lncRNAs may serve as potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for PC diagnosis and prognosis. This will help improve PC patients' survival rate from a lncRNA perspective.

Long Non-Coding RNA Signatures in Lymphopoiesis and Lymphoid Malignancies

Lymphoid cells play a critical role in the immune system, which includes three subgroups of T, B, and NK cells. Recognition of the complexity of the human genetics transcriptome in lymphopoiesis has revolutionized our understanding of the regulatory potential of RNA in normal lymphopoiesis and lymphoid malignancies. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNA molecules greater than 200 nucleotides in length. LncRNAs have recently attracted much attention due to their critical roles in various biological processes, including gene regulation, chromatin organization, and cell cycle control. LncRNAs can also be used for cell differentiation and cell fate, as their expression patterns are often specific to particular cell types or developmental stages. Additionally, lncRNAs have been implicated in lymphoid differentiation, such as regulating T-cell and B-cell development, and their expression has been linked to immune-associated diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma. In addition, lncRNAs have been investigated as potential biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response to disease management. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge about the regulatory role of lncRNAs in physiopathology processes during normal lymphopoiesis and lymphoid leukemia.

NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in atherosclerosis: Focusing on the therapeutic potential of non-coding RNAs

NLRP3 (NOD-, LRR-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3) inflammasome pathway has a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Activation of this pathway is implicated in the subendothelial inflammation and atherosclerosis progression. The NLRP3 inflammasome are cytoplasmic sensors with the distinct capacity to identify a wide range of inflammation-related signals, which enhance NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and allow it to trigger inflammation. This pathway is triggered by a variety of intrinsic signals which exist in atherosclerotic plaques, like cholesterol crystals and oxidized LDL. Further pharmacological findings indicated that NLRP3 inflammasome enhanced caspase-1-mediated secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators like interleukin (IL)- 1β/18. Newly published cutting-edge studies suggested that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) including microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are major modulators of NLRP3 inflammasome in atherosclerosis. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to discuss the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, biogenesis of ncRNAs as well as the modulatory role of ncRNAs in regulating the various mediators of NLRP3 inflammasome pathway including TLR4, NF-kB, NLRP3, and caspase 1. We also discussed the importance of NLRP3 inflammasome pathway-related ncRNAs as a diagnostic biomarker in atherosclerosis and current therapeutics in the modulation of NLRP3 inflammasome in atherosclerosis. Finally, we speak about the limitations and future prospects of ncRNAs in regulating inflammatory atherosclerosis via the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

The Long Noncoding RNA LINC00958 Is Induced in Psoriasis Epidermis and Modulates Epidermal Proliferation

Psoriasis is a common, immune-mediated skin disease characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation and chronic skin inflammation. Long noncoding RNAs are >200 nucleotide-long transcripts that possess important regulatory functions. To date, little is known about the contribution of long noncoding RNAs to psoriasis. In this study, we identify LINC00958 as a long noncoding RNA overexpressed in keratinocytes (KCs) from psoriasis skin lesions, in a transcriptomic screen performed on KCs sorted from psoriasis and healthy skin. Increased levels of LINC00958 in psoriasis KCs were confirmed by RT-qPCR and single-molecule in situ hybridization. Confocal microscopy and analysis of subcellular fractions showed that LINC00958 is mainly localized in the cytoplasm of KCs. IL-17A, a key psoriasis cytokine, induced LINC00958 in KCs through C/EBP-β and the p38 pathway. The inhibition of LINC00958 led to decreased proliferation as measured by Ki-67 expression, IncuCyte imaging, and 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine assays. Transcriptomic analysis of LINC00958-depleted KCs revealed enrichment of proliferation- and cell cycle‒related genes among differentially expressed transcripts. Moreover, LINC00958 depletion led to decreased basal and IL-17A‒induced phosphorylation of p38. Furthermore, IL-17A‒induced KC proliferation was counteracted by the inhibition of LINC00958. In summary, our data support a role for the IL-17A‒induced long noncoding RNA, LINC00958, in the pathological circuits of psoriasis by reinforcing IL-17A‒induced epidermal hyperproliferation.

LINC00958 may be a new prognostic biomarker in various cancers: A meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis

Background: There have been many studies on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as tumor markers. LINC00958 is a lncRNA that has been studied in a variety of tumor types. This meta-analysis aims to explore the relationship between LINC00958 and clinical prognosis and pathological characteristics in various cancers.

Methods: We searched for related studies from PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library and Embase (up to October 2021). The association of LINC00958 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis was evaluated using the pooled odds ratios (ORs) or hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: 16 studies (1,121 patients) were included in this meta-analysis, we found that overexpression of LINC00958 was associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.36–2.49; p < 0.001). We also found that LINC00958 overexpression was correlated with positive lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.39–2.63; p < 0.001), advanced degree of infiltration (OR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.11–2.41; p = 0.013), advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (OR = 2.80; 95% CI: 1.48–5.33; p = 0.002). Other clinicopathological characteristics have no obvious correlation, such as age, sex, tumor size, distant metastasis, and differentiation grade (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: In summary, the overexpression of LINC00958 is significantly correlated with poor OS, positive LNM, advanced degree of infiltration, and advanced TNM stage. LINC00958 might serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for a variety of cancers. However, rigorous studies with large sample sizes are still needed for further research and demonstration.

Positive feedback regulation of lncRNA TPT1-AS1 and ITGB3 promotes cell growth and metastasis in pancreatic cancer

Emerging evidence has indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are potential biomarkers and play crucial roles in cancer development. However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of lncRNA TPT1-AS1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain elusive. RNAseq data of PDAC tissues and normal tissues were analyzed, and lncRNAs which were associated with PDAC prognosis were identified. The clinical relevance of TPT1-AS1 for PDAC patients was explored, and the effects of TPT1-AS1 in PDAC progression were investigated in vitro and in vivo. LncRNA TPT1-AS1 was highly expressed in PDAC, and high TPT1-AS1 levels predicted a poor prognosis. Moreover, functional experiments revealed that TPT1-AS1 promoted pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, TPT1-AS1 functioned as an endogenous sponge for miR-30a-5p, which increased integrin β3 (ITGB3) level in pancreatic cancer cells. Conversely, our data revealed that ITGB3 could activate the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which in turn bound directly to the TPT1-AS1 promoter and affected the expression of TPT1-AS1, thus forming a positive feedback loop with TPT1-AS1. Taken together, our results uncovered a reciprocal loop of TPT1-AS1 and ITGB3 which contributed to pancreatic cancer growth and development, and indicated that TPT1-AS1 might serve as a novel potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PDAC patients.

Circular BANP knockdown inhibits the malignant progression of residual hepatocellular carcinoma after insufficient radiofrequency ablation

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs, some of which have pathological roles. The current study aimed to explore the role of circRNA BTG3-associated nuclear protein (circ-BANP) binding with let-7f-5p and its regulation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway in residual hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after insufficient radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

METHODS

Circ-BANP, let-7f-5p, and TLR4 expressions in HCC samples were assessed using reverse transcription- quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. Bioinformatics prediction, RNA pull-down assay, and dual luciferase reporter gene assay were used to analyze the relationships among circ-BANP, let-7f-5p, and TLR4. Huh7 cells were used to generate an in vitro model of residual HCC, defined as Huh7-H cells, which were transfected with either a plasmid or the sequence of circ-BANP, let-7f-5p, or TLR4. Expression of circ-BANP, let-7f-5p, and TLR4 mRNA was determined by RT-qPCR. TLR4, STAT3, p-STAT3, vascular endothelial growth factor A, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT)-related factors proteins were determined by Western blotting. Cell proliferation was determined by cell counting kit-8 and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay and cell migration and invasion by Transwell assay. Animal studies were performed by inducing xenograft tumors in nude mice.

RESULTS

Circ-BANP and TLR4 mRNAs were upregulated in HCC tissues (the fold change for circ-BANP was 1.958 and that for TLR4 was 1.736 relative to para-tumors) and expression further increased following insufficient RFA (fold change for circ- BANP was 2.407 and that of TLR4 was 2.224 relative to para-tumors). Expression of let-7f-5p showed an opposite tendency (fold change for let-7f-5p in HCC tissues was 0.491 and that in tumors after insufficient RFA was 0.300 relative to para-tumors). Competitive binding of circ-BANP to let-7f-5p was demonstrated and TLR4 was identified as a target of let-7f-5p (P < 0.01). Knockdown of circ-BANP or elevation of let-7f-5p expression inhibited the TLR4/STAT3 signaling pathway, proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, and EMT in Huh7 and Huh7-H cells (P < 0.01). The effects induced by circ-BANP knockdown were reversed by let-7f-5p inhibition. Overexpression of TLR4 reversed the impact of let-7f-5p upregulation on the cells (P < 0.01). Silencing of circ-BANP inhibited the in vivo growth of residual HCC cells after insufficient RFA (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Knockdown of circ-BANP upregulated let-7f-5p to inhibit proliferation, migration, and EMT formation in residual HCC remaining after insufficient RFA. Effects occur via regulation of the TLR4/STAT3 signaling pathway.

lncRNAs Functioned as ceRNA to Sponge miR-15a-5p Affects the Prognosis of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Correlates With Tumor Immune Infiltration

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is one of the most common malignant tumors with poor prognosis worldwide. Mounting evidence suggests that the expression of lncRNAs and the infiltration of immune cells have prognostic value for patients with PAAD. We used Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and identified six genes (COL1A2, ITGA2, ITGB6, LAMA3, LAMB3, and LAMC2) that could affect the survival rate of pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients. Based on a series of in silico analyses for reverse prediction of target genes associated with the prognosis of PAAD, a ceRNA network of mRNA (COL1A2, ITGA2, LAMA3, LAMB3, and LAMC2)–microRNA (miR-15a-5p)–long non-coding RNA (LINC00511, LINC01578, PVT1, and TNFRSF14-AS1) was constructed. We used the algorithm “CIBERSORT” to assess the proportion of immune cells and found three overall survival (OS)–associated immune cells (monocytes, M1 macrophages, and resting mast cell). Moreover, the OS-associated gene level was significantly positively associated with immune checkpoint expression and biomarkers of immune cells. In summary, our results clarified that ncRNA-mediated upregulation of OS-associated genes and tumor-infiltration immune cells (monocytes, M1 macrophages M1, and resting mast cell resting) correlated with poor prognosis in PAAD.

LINC00958: A promising long non-coding RNA related to cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of RNA transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides, do not encode proteins; however, they encode small peptides and micropeptides that act as bioactive peptides with notable effects in regulating the progression of malignant tumors, such as lung and colorectal cancers, and affecting patient prognosis. lncRNAs are important intracellular regulators, particularly in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA958 (LINC00958), which has received increasing attention in recent years, is highly expressed in various malignancies, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC), non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer. Here, we reviewed the recent studies on LINC00958 as well as its closely related clinical features and functional regulation in cancers. We systematically expounded the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological functions of LINC00958 in inhibiting cell apoptosis and enhancing the chemoradiotherapy resistance of tumor cells. The upregulation of LINC00958 enhances the resistance of tumor cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy and induces lymphangiogenesis. Moreover, it is involved in tumor glycolytic metabolism, which plays a crucial role in facilitating the proliferation, invasion, and migration of tumor cells. Additionally, analysis of various studies revealed that LINC00958 acts as an endogenous competitive RNA (ceRNA) and regulates the malignant behavior of tumor cells through the miRNA-mRNA axis. Collectively, the use of LINC00958 as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of different cancers has bright prospects in the future.

Long Noncoding RNA and Circular RNA: Two Rising Stars in Regulating Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant tumor with especially poor prognosis. However, the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic oncogenesis and malignant progression are not fully elucidated. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process is important to drive pancreatic carcinogenesis. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs(circRNAs) have been characterized to participate in EMT in PDAC, which can affect the migration and invasion of tumor cells by playing important roles in epigenetic processes, transcription, and post-transcriptional regulation. LncRNAs can act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) to sequester target microRNAs(miRNAs), bind to the genes which localize physically nearby, and directly interact with EMT-related proteins. Currently known circRNAs mostly regulate the EMT process in PDAC also by acting as a miRNA sponge, directly affecting the protein degradation process. Therefore, exploring the functions of lncRNAs and circRNAs in EMT during pancreatic cancer might help pancreatic cancer treatments.

IGF2BP3 enhances the mRNA stability of E2F3 by interacting with LINC00958 to promote endometrial carcinoma progression

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important regulatory roles in a variety of pathological processes involving cancer. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of lncRNA regulation in endometrial carcinoma (EC) remain poorly defined. The aim of this study was to illustrate the mechanism of LINC00958 in regulating the function of IGF2BP3, an RNA binding protein involved in mRNA stability, and their clinical implications in EC. First, we investigated the clinical role of IGF2BP3 in EC and demonstrated its prognostic value. Loss-of-function and gain-of-function studies showed that IGF2BP3 promoted EC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Then, we carried out RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) analysis, RNA pulldown and immunofluorescence-RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization to identify LINC00958 that interacted with IGF2BP3 in the cytoplasm of EC cells. Rescue experiments indicated that knockdown of LINC00958 partially offset the EC cell progression mediated by IGF2BP3. After that, RNA sequencing was used to screen out the downstream genes of IGF2BP3 and LINC00958. The results revealed that IGF2BP3 upregulated E2F3 expression by interacting with LINC00958. Furthermore, RNA stability assays demonstrated that silencing LINC00958 partially rescued the IGF2BP3-mediated promoting effect on the mRNA stability of E2F3. Collectively, this study suggests that LINC00958, as an oncogene, assists IGF2BP3 in stabilizing E2F3 mRNA and ultimately promotes EC progression, providing a promising therapeutic target for patients with EC.

MYC/MAX-Activated LINC00958 Promotes Lung Adenocarcinoma by Oncogenic Transcriptional Reprogramming Through HOXA1 Activation

BACKGROUND

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer. The role of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00958, which regulates the malignant behavior of multiple tumors, in LUAD has not been elucidated.

METHODS

Tissue microarray, FISH, and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression of LINC00958. Plasmid and viral infections were used to manipulate gene expression. The role of LINC00958 in LUAD was studied by cell proliferation analysis, cell apoptosis analysis, cell migration and invasion analysis, and subcutaneous inoculation of animal models. At the same time, RNA-Seq, RNA pull-down, ChIRP, ChIP, and luciferase reporter gene assays were performed to clarify the mechanism.

RESULTS

The expression of LINC00958 in LUAD tissues was significantly upregulated when compared with that in adjacent tissues and could independently predict poor survival of patients with LUAD. LINC00958 knockdown significantly inhibited the growth and metastasis of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. LINC00958 localized to the nucleus, regulated oncogenes and metabolism-related and immune response-related genes, and interacted with histones. The targets of LINC00958 were TRPV3, STAP2, and EDN2 promoters with motifs of HOXA1, NANOG, FOSL2, JUN, and ATF4. Moreover, HOXA1 overexpression mitigated the LINC00958 knockdown-induced oncogenic phenotype. MYC/MAX motif, which was detected at the cis-element of LINC00958, trans-activated the LINC00958 promoter.

CONCLUSIONS

MYC/MAX-trans-activated LINC00958 promotes the malignant behavior of LUAD by recruiting HOXA1 and inducing oncogenic reprogramming.

LINC00958/miR-627 signal axis regulates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of thyroid papillary carcinoma cells by TRIM44

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has attracted much attention due to its high morbidity and severe metastasis. Long noncoding RNA ENST00000504230 (LncRNA ENST00000504230, known as LINC00958) was overexpressed in many cancers and associated with cancer development. However, its underlying mechanism in PTC remains unclear. PTC tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues were collected for measuring the expression of LINC00958 and miR-627. MiR-627 and TRIM44 expressions were measured in in vitro cultured PTC cell lines (B-cpap and IHH4 cells) transfected with sh-LINC00958 or miR-627 mimic using RT-qPCR and western blot. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Transwell assays, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to evaluate the target association between miR-627 and TRIM44. LINC00958 was up-regulated in PTC tissues and cells, while the expression of miR-627 was lowly expressed. Knockdown of LINC00958 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion by elevating miR-627 expression in PTC cells. TRIM44 was confirmed as a target of miR-627. Overexpression of miR-627 in PTC inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion by down-regulating the expression of TRIM44. LINC00958 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion in PTC by down-regulating miR-627 and activating TRIM44, indicating the potential therapeutic effect of LINC00958 on PTC.

Circular BANP knockdown inhibits the malignant progression of residual hepatocellular carcinoma after insufficient radiofrequency ablation

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs, some of which have pathological roles. The current study aimed to explore the role of circRNA BTG3-associated nuclear protein (circ-BANP) binding with let-7f-5p and its regulation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway in residual hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after insufficient radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

METHODS

Circ-BANP, let-7f-5p, and TLR4 expressions in HCC samples were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. Bioinformatics prediction, RNA pull-down assay, and dual luciferase reporter gene assay were used to analyze the relationships among circ-BANP, let-7f-5p, and TLR4. Huh7 cells were used to generate an in vitro model of residual HCC, defined as Huh7-H cells, which were transfected with either a plasmid or the sequence of circ-BANP, let-7f-5p, or TLR4. Expression of circ-BANP, let-7f-5p, and TLR4 mRNA was determined by RT-qPCR. TLR4, STAT3, p-STAT3, vascular endothelial growth factor A, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT)-related factors proteins were determined by Western blotting. Cell proliferation was determined by cell counting kit-8 and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay and cell migration and invasion by Transwell assay. Animal studies were performed by inducing xenograft tumors in nude mice.

RESULTS

Circ-BANP and TLR4 mRNAs were upregulated in HCC tissues (the fold change for circ-BANP was 1.958 and that for TLR4 was 1.736 relative to para-tumors) and expression further increased following insufficient RFA (fold change for circ-BANP was 2.407 and that of TLR4 was 2.224 relative to para-tumors). Expression of let-7f-5p showed an opposite tendency (fold change for let-7f-5p in HCC tissues was 0.491 and that in tumors after insufficient RFA was 0.300 relative to para-tumors). Competitive binding of circ-BANP to let-7f-5p was demonstrated and TLR4 was identified as a target of let-7f-5p (P < 0.01). Knockdown of circ-BANP or elevation of let-7f-5p expression inhibited the TLR4/STAT3 signaling pathway, proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, and EMT in Huh7 and Huh7-H cells (P < 0.01). The effects induced by circ-BANP knockdown were reversed by let-7f-5p inhibition. Overexpression of TLR4 reversed the impact of let-7f-5p upregulation on the cells (P < 0.01). Silencing of circ-BANP inhibited the in vivo growth of residual HCC cells after insufficient RFA (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Knockdown of circ-BANP upregulated let-7f-5p to inhibit proliferation, migration, and EMT formation in residual HCC remaining after insufficient RFA. Effects occur via regulation of the TLR4/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Dysregulated expression and functions of microRNA-330 in cancers: A potential therapeutic target

As small non-coding RNAs, MicroRNAs (miRNAs) bind to the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of mRNA targets to control gene transcription and translation. The gene of miR-330 has two miRNA products, including miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p, which exhibit anti-tumorigenesis and/or pro-tumorigenesis effects in many kinds of malignancies. In cancers, miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p aberrant expression can influence many malignancy-related processes such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as well as angiogenesis and responsiveness to treatment. In many cancer types (such as lung, prostate, gastric, breast, bladder, ovarian, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer, and osteosarcoma), miR-330-5p acts as an anti-tumor agent. These cancers have low levels of miR-330-5p that leads to the upregulation of the tumor promotor target genes leading to tumor progression. Here, overexpression of miR-330-5p using miRNA inducers can prevent tumor development. Dual roles of miR-330-5p have been also indicated in the thyroid, liver and cervical cancers. Moreover, miR-330-3p exhibits pro-tumorigenesis effects in lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, osteosarcoma, bladder cancer, and cervical cancer. Here, downregulation of miR-330-3p using miRNA inhibitors can prevent tumor development. Demonstrated in breast and liver cancers, miR-330-3p also has dual roles. Importantly, the activities of miR-330-3p and/or miR-330-5p are regulated by upstream regulators long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including circular and linear lncRNAs. This review comprehensively explained miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p role in development of cancers, while highlighting their downstream target genes and upstream regulators as well as possible therapeutic strategies.

STAT1-Induced Upregulation lncRNA LINC00958 Accelerates the Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Tumorigenesis by Regulating Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

Background

Growing studies have demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in tumor progression. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential roles of lncRNA LINC00958 (LINC00958) and its biological functions in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods

The expression of LINC00958 in 11 cases of EOC and adjacent nontumor specimens and five cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR. CCK-8, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays were conducted to study the cell viabilities of EOC cells. Wound scratch and transwell analyses were carried out for the examination of cell invasion and migration of EOC cells. The targeting associations between LINC00958 and STAT1 were demonstrated by ChIP analyses combined with luciferase reporter assays. The related proteins of Wnt/β-catenin signaling were determined using RT-PCR.

Results

Higher levels of LINC00958 were observed in EOC tissues and cell lines. Our data also revealed that high LINC00958 expression was partly induced by STAT1. Functionally, knockdown of LINC00958 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of EOC cells. Mechanistic investigation showed that the inhibitory effect of LINC00958 knockdown on EOC cells was mediated by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that STAT1-induced overexpression of LINC00958 promoted EOC progression by modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

LncRNAs: Novel Biomarkers for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly neoplasms and the seventh major cause of cancer-related deaths among both males and females. This cancer has a poor prognosis due to the lack of appropriate methods for early detection of cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recently found to influence the progression and initiation of pancreatic cancer. MACC1-AS1, LINC00976, LINC00462, LINC01559, HOXA-AS2, LINC00152, TP73-AS1, XIST, SNHG12, LUCAT1, and UCA1 are among the oncogenic lncRNAs in pancreatic cancer. On the other hand, LINC01111, LINC01963, DGCR5, MEG3, GAS5, and LINC00261 are among tumor suppressor lncRNAs in this tissue. In the current review, we summarize the roles of these two classes of lncRNAs in pancreatic cancer and discuss their potential as attractive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for pancreatic cancer. We also identified that the low expression of MEG3, LINC01963, and LINC00261 and the high expression of MACC1-AS1, LINC00462, LINC01559, and UCA1 were significantly correlated with worse survival in pancreatic cancer patients. Further research on these lncRNAs will provide new clues that could potentially improve the early diagnosis, prognostic prediction, and personalized treatments of patients with pancreatic cancer.

CircPTK2 (hsa_circ_0003221) Contributes to Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by the miR-1278/YAP1 Axis

Laryngeal cancer accounts for 20% of all head and neck malignancies. Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the most common type of laryngeal cancer and is characterized by squamous differentiation, a high mortality rate, and poor prognosis. Accumulating studies have indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are critical regulators in many cancers. CircPTK2 exerts an important regulatory role in several cancers. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the function of circPTK2 (hsa_circ_0003221) in LSCC. Through a series of investigations, we discovered that circPTK2 was significantly upregulated in LSCC tissues cells. Functionally, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry analyses revealed that knockdown of circPTK2 suppressed LSCC cell viability and the cell cycle while promoting cell apoptosis. Notably, silencing circPTK2 inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circPTK2 functioned as a molecular sponge of miR-1278 to upregulate YAP1 expression in LSCC cells. Moreover, YAP1 knockdown inhibited malignant phenotypes of LSCC cells. The rescue experiments showed that YAP1 overexpression reversed the effects of circPTK2 on LSCC cells. Therefore, we concluded that circPTK2 facilitates LSCC progression through the miR-1278/YAP1 axis.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00958 promotes colorectal cancer progression by enhancing the expression of LEM domain containing 1 via microRNA miR-3064-5p

Colorectal cancer is a common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Thus, there is an urgent need to determine the mechanism of progression of colorectal cancer. In this study, we investigated the function and mechanism of long non-coding RNA LINC00958, providing a new biomarker for colorectal cancer. The expression of LINC00958, miR-3064-5p, and LEM domain containing 1 (LEMD1) in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines was analyzed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The interaction between LINC00958, miR-3064-5p, and LEMD1 was assessed using the luciferase assay. The viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells with silenced LINC00958, miR-3064-5p, and LEMD1 were investigated using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5′-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU), flow cytometry, wound healing, and transwell assays. Phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p-PI3K) and phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) protein levels were measured by western blotting. LINC00958 and LEMD1 were found to have increased, while the expression of miR-3064-5p was decreased in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines. Silencing of LINC00958 hampered cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion, while enhancing the apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. Notably, LINC00958 inhibited miR-3064-5p and promoted LEMD1; the miR-3064-5p inhibitor abrogated the effect of LINC00958 silencing in colorectal cancer cells. Additionally, LEMD1 knockdown inhibited the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling. Our analyses have shown that LINC00958 could facilitate the progression of colorectal cancer by sponging miR-3064-5p and releasing LEMD1, leading to the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Thus, LINC00958 may be considered as an effective biomarker for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

LncRNA LINC00337 sponges mir-1285-3p to promote proliferation and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma cells by upregulating YTHDF1

BACKGROUND

Emerging studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) predominantly function in the carcinogenesis of multiple developing human tumors. The current study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of LINC00337 in lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

We analyzed TCGA and GTEx datasets and chose LINC00337 as the research object. Cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and invasion were detected in the gain and loss experiments of LINC00337 both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, RNA pull-down, luciferase reporter assays, western blotting analysis, and rescue experiments were performed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of LINC00337 function.

RESULTS

LINC00337 expression was remarkably upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, LINC00337 knockdown was shown to repress cell migration, invasion, and proliferation, as well as the cell cycle, and gear up apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma in vitro and in vivo. With respect to the mechanism, LINC00337 knockdown boosted miR-1285-3p expression and then restrained YTHDF1 expression post-transcriptionally. Crucially, both miR-1285-3p decrement and YTHDF1 overexpression successfully reversed the influence on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis caused by LINC00337 shRNA.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that LINC00337 acts as an oncogenic lncRNA, targeting miR-1285-3p and regulating YTHDF1 expression, to promote the progression of lung adenocarcinoma.

Silencing long non-coding RNA DLX6-AS1 or restoring microRNA-193b-3p enhances thyroid carcinoma cell autophagy and apoptosis via depressing HOXA1

Long non‐coding RNA DLX6 antisense RNA 1 (DLX6‐AS1) lists a critical position in thyroid carcinoma (TC) development. However, the overall comprehension about DLX6‐AS1, microRNA (miR)‐193b‐3p and homeobox A1 (HOXA1) in TC is not thoroughly enough. Concerning to this, this work is pivoted on DLX6‐AS1/miR‐193b‐3p/HOXA1 axis in TC cell growth and autophagy. TC tissues and adjacent normal thyroid tissues were collected, in which expression of DLX6‐AS1, miR‐193b‐3p and HOXA1 was tested, together with their interactions. TC cells were transfected with DLX6‐AS1/miR‐193b‐3p‐related oligonucleotides or plasmids to test cell growth and autophagy. Tumorigenesis in nude mice was observed. DLX6‐AS1 and HOXA1 were up‐regulated, and miR‐193b‐3p was down‐regulated in TC. Depleted DLX6‐AS1 or restored miR‐193b‐3p disturbed cell growth and promoted autophagy. DLX6‐AS1 targeted miR‐193b‐3p and positively regulated HOXA1. miR‐193b‐3p inhibition mitigated the impaired tumorigenesis induced by down‐regulated DLX6‐AS1. Tumorigenesis in nude mice was consistent with that in cells. It is clear that DLX6‐AS1 depletion hinders TC cell growth and promotes autophagy via up‐regulating miR‐193b‐3p and down‐regulating HOXA1.

Long noncoding RNA LINC00958 suppresses apoptosis and radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer through targeting miR-422a

Background

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been elucidated to participate in the development and progression of various cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the underlying functions and mechanisms of LINC00958 in colorectal cancer.

Methods

LINC00958 expression in colorectal cancer tissues was examined by qRT-PCR. The correlations between LINC00958 expression and clinical characteristics and prognosis were evaluated. The biological functions of LINC00958 were detected by CCK-8, MTT, colony formation and flow cytometric analyses. RNA pulldown, RIP and luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the regulatory effects of LINC00958 on miR-422a. Rescue experiments were performed to detect the effects of miR-422a on the roles of LINC00958.

Results

LINC00958 was upregulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines. High LINC00958 levels were positively associated with T stage and predicted poor prognosis. Cell experiments showed that LINC00958 promoted cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis and sensitivity to radiotherapy in vitro and promoted tumor growth in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis predicted the binding site of miR-422a on LINC00958. Mechanistically, RNA pulldown, RIP and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that LINC00958 specifically targeted miR-422a. In addition, we found that miR-422a suppressed MAPK1 expression by directly binding to the 3’-UTR of MAPK1, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation and enhancing cell apoptosis and radiosensitivity. Furthermore, miR-422a rescued the roles of LINC00958 in promoting MAPK1 expression and cell proliferation and decreasing cell apoptosis and radiosensitivity.

Conclusions

LINC00958 promoted MAPK1 expression and cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis and radiosensitivity by targeting miR-422a, which suggests that it is a potential biomarker for the prognosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.

A novel circ_0099999/miR-330-5p/FSCN1 ceRNA crosstalk in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy in both sexes throughout the world. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in the development of pancreatic cancer by operating as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). Here, we explored circ_0099999-mediated ceRNA activity in regulating pancreatic tumorigenesis.

METHODS

Ribonuclease R (RNase R) and subcellular localization assays were utilized to characterize circ_0099999. The levels of circ_0099999, microRNA (miR)-330-5p, and fascin actin-bundling protein 1 (FSCN1) were gauged by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Cell proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were evaluated by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, flow cytometry, and transwell assays, respectively. The levels of glucose consumption and lactate production were determined using the assay kits. A direct relationship between miR-330-5p and circ_0099999 or FSCN1 was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Tumour xenograft assays were used to analyse the role of circ_0099999 in vivo.

RESULTS

Circ_0099999 was highly up-regulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ_0099999 impeded cell proliferation, migration, invasion, glycolysis, and promoted apoptosis in vitro, as well as diminished tumour growth in vivo. Circ_0099999 targeted miR-330-5p, and miR-330-5p was a downstream mediator of circ_0099999 function. FSCN1 was a direct and functional target of miR-330-5p. Furthermore, circ_0099999 operated as a ceRNA for miR-330-5p to modulate FSCN1 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings established a novel causal mechanism, circ_0099999/miR-330-5p/FSCN1 ceRNA crosstalk, in regulating pancreatic carcinogenesis and provided that inhibition of circ_0099999 might have therapeutic benefits in pancreatic cancer.

A novel prognostic signature of immune-related lncRNA pairs in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of lung cancer, but the prognosis of LUAD patients remains unsatisfactory. Here, we retrieved the RNA-seq data of LUAD cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and then identified differentially expressed immune-related lncRNAs (DEirlncRNAs) between LUAD and normal controls. Based on a new method of cyclically single pairing along with a 0-or-1 matrix, we constructed a novel prognostic signature of 8 DEirlncRNA pairs in LUAD with no dependence upon specific expression levels of lncRNAs. This prognostic model exhibited significant power in distinguishing good or poor prognosis of LUAD patients and the values of the area under the curve (AUC) were all over 0.70 in 1, 3, 5 years receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Moreover, the risk score of the model could serve as an independent prognostic factor for patients with LUAD. In addition, the risk model was significantly associated with clinicopathological characteristics, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, immune-related molecules and sensitivity of anti-tumor drugs. This novel signature of DEirlncRNA pairs in LUAD, which did not require specific expression levels of lncRNAs, might be used to guide the administration of patients with LUAD in clinical practice.

The regulation of long non-coding RNA 00958 (LINC00958) for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells death through absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) depending on microRNA-4306 and Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) in vitro

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proposed as potential targets in OSCC gene therapy. Thus, the study aims to analyze how they exert functions in OSCC. LINC00958, AIM2, Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and tumor protein p53 (TP53) expression levels are analyzed by Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR) or Western blotting (WB) in OSCC cells lines. The roles of LINC00958 in cell proliferation, cell death, and GSDMD expression respectively were analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, flow cytometry and Immunofluorescence (IF) assay. In addition, expressions of pyroptosis- and autophagy-related proteins are evaluated by WB detection. The targeted binding of LINC00958 and miR-4306 or AIM2 mRNA is predicted by bioinformatics analysis and detected by biodual luciferase system. RIP and qPCR assays analyze whether LINC00958 interacts with SIRT1. We found that LINC00958 showed upregulation in OSCC cells compared to normal oral epithelial cells. LINC00958 silencing significantly suppressed OSCC cell proliferation, induced cell death and reduced autophagy. LINC00958 regulated the levels of miR-4306 which binds to the 3'UTR of AIM2, and interacts with and modulates SIRT1 protein expression. LINC00958 regulated GSDMD and AIM2 levels, as well as p53 and SIRT1 levels. SIRT1 overexpression markedly reversed aforementioned effects of LINC00958. LINC00958 not only downregulated miR-4306 levels to activate the pyroptosis pathway mediated by AIM2 and promoted cancer cell survival but also induced a decrease in SIRT protein expression to further reduce p53 levels.

Long noncoding RNAs: role and contribution in pancreatic cancer

Noncoding RNAs are proclaimed to be expressed in various cancer types and one such type is found to be pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) affect the migration, invasion, and growth of tumor cells by playing important roles in the process of epigenesis, post-transcription, and transcriptional regulation along with the maintenance of apoptosis and cell cycle. It is quite subtle whether the alterations in lncRNAs would impact PDAC progression and development. This review throws a spotlight on the lncRNAs associated with tumor functions: MALAT-1, HOTAIR, HOXA13, H19, LINC01559, LINC00460, SNHG14, SNHG16, DLX6-AS1, MSC-AS1, ABHD11-AS1, DUXAP8, DANCR, XIST, DLEU2, etc. are upregulated lncRNAs whereas GAS5, HMlincRNA717, MIAT, LINC01111, lncRNA KCNK15-AS1, etc. are downregulated lncRNAs inhibiting the invasion and progression of PDAC. These data provided helps in the assessment of lncRNAs in the development, metastasis, and occurrence of PDAC and also play a vital role in the evolution of biomarkers and therapeutic agents for the treatment of PDAC.

LINC00958 promotes proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells

Oesophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most prevalent histological type of oesophageal cancer. Oesophageal cancer has a poor prognosis because of its invasiveness. Thus, it is especially important to seek effective treatment methods. Research indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in the occurrence and development of oesophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to describe the role of LINC00958 in ESCC. Bioinformatics and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) methods were utilized to predict and verify the expression of LINC00958 in ESCC. Related functional experiments, including cell proliferation, migration and invasion, were performed. In addition, a western blot and a dual luciferase reporter gene experiment were used to study the detailed carcinogenic mechanism of LINC00958. The results indicated there was a high expression of LINC00958 in ESCC, which promoted proliferation, migration, invasion and Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) of ESCC cells, and this effect may be via regulating miR-510-5p.

MiR-3666 serves as a tumor suppressor in ovarian carcinoma by down-regulating AK4 via targeting STAT3

As a result of metastasis and high recurrence, ovarian carcinoma (OC) is one of the most frequent gynecological carcinomas affecting women up to now. In spite of advances in OC treatments, the molecular mechanisms underlying OC progression are still needed to be deeply understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) with aberrant expressions are widely known to regulate target genes so as to mediate diverse biological activities of tumor cells. In the present study, we inspected the expression profile and latent mechanism of miR-3666 in OC. First of all, our research revealed the down-regulated miR-3666 in OC cells. Furthermore, miR-3666 up-regulation could repress cell proliferation and migration as well as induce cell apoptosis in OC. In addition, we unmasked that miR-3666 targeted STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) and further down-regulated STAT3 expression. Moreover, adenylate kinase 4 (AK4) was transcriptionally enhanced by STAT3, and then miR-3666 restrained AK4 expression by mediating STAT3. In the end, rescue experiments depicted that miR-3666 suppressed the development of OC via STAT3-mediated AK4. We uncovered that miR-3666 inhibited the tumorigenesis and even development of OC via suppressing STAT3/AK4 axis, offering a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for OC.

Knockdown of circ_0003204 alleviates oxidative low-density lipoprotein-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells injury: Circulating RNAs could explain atherosclerosis disease progression

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a serious cardiovascular disease. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important role in the progression of many diseases, including AS. However, the role of circ_0003204 in AS is not clear. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to construct an AS cell model in vitro. Cell viability was assessed using cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) assay. Flow cytometry and caspase-3 activity were used to measure cell apoptosis. The contents of inflammatory cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Oxidative stress marker expression and cell injury marker activity were detected by their corresponding Assay Kits. Besides, the expression levels of circ_0003204, miR-330-5p, and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The interaction between miR-330-5p and circ_0003204 or TLR4 was examined by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay. Western blot (WB) analysis was used to determine the levels of TLR4 protein and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway-related protein. Our data suggested that ox-LDL could suppress viability and promote apoptosis, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in HUVECs. circ_0003204 was highly expressed in ox-LDL-induced HUVECs, and its silencing could inhibit ox-LDL-induced HUVECs injury. miR-330-5p could be sponged by circ_0003204, and its inhibitor could reverse the inhibition effect of silenced circ_0003204 on ox-LDL-induced HUVECs injury. Further, TLR4 could be targeted by miR-330-5p, and its overexpression could invert the suppression effect of miR-330-5p on ox-LDL-induced HUVECs injury. The activity of the NF-κB signaling pathway was regulated by the circ_0003204/miR-330-5p/TLR4 axis. Our results indicated that circ_0003204 silencing could alleviate ox-LDL-induced HUVECs injury, suggesting that circ_0003204 might be a novel target for AS treatment.

Longnon-coding RNA BLACAT2 promotes gastric cancer progression via the miR-193b-5p/METTL3 pathway

Gastric cancer is one of the leading prevalent and malignant cancers worldwide, especially in east Asia. However, the in-depth molecular mechanism underlying gastric cancer progression remains uncertain. Recently, studies have identified that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) could play critical roles in the tumorigenesis of multiple types of cancer. Studies on long non-coding RNA BLACAT2 have proven that it participates in bladder cancer and colorectal cancer regulation and was identified as highly expressed using the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics in gastric cancer. However, the precise function of lncRNA-BLACAT2 in the carcinogenesis and progression of gastric cancer remains largely unexplored. Our study discovered that lncRNA-BLACAT2 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer. Different studies have illustrated that BLACAT2 promoted gastric cancer progression through regulating proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis in terms of biological function. Furthermore, BLACAT2 was verified to perform its function through interaction with miR-193b-5p using a luciferase reporter assay. On the other hand, MiR-193b-5p specific inhibitor treatment reversed the inhibitory effect of BLACAT2 on cell biological functions. Additional studies also discovered that Methyltransferase Like 3 (METTL3) was the downstream target of miR-193b-5p. Subsequently, restoration of METTL3 eliminated the suppressive effect of proliferation or the promotive effect of apoptosis caused by BLACAT2 knockdown. To sum up, these experimental results demonstrated that BLACAT2 acted as an oncogene in gastric cancer progression through the regulation of the miR-193b-5p/METTL3 pathway, hence providing new insights regarding the pathogenesis of gastric cancer.

MIRLET7BHG promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by activating hepatic stellate cells through exosomal SMO to trigger Hedgehog pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), commonly caused by liver fibrosis, is a global challenge with high morbidity. Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) contributes to hepatic fibrosis. Exosomes are small vesicles that play a significant role in cell-to-cell communication. Smoothened (SMO) is the key signal transducer for Hedgehog pathway. This study was designed to study the function and underlying mechanism of SMO in HSC activation. Functional assays including 5-Ethynyl-2´-deoxyuridine, colony formation, wound healing, transwell, and sphere formation assays disclosed the function of SMO. Western blot analysis of exosome biomarkers, immunofluorescence staining assay, electron microscope, and flow cytometry revealed the existence of exosomes. Bioinformatics analyses and mechanistic assays uncovered the interplays between RNAs. Nude mice xenograft model was established to evaluate HCC tumor growth. We uncovered that SMO was an oncogene in HCC cells and was low-expressed in quiescent HSCs. Then, SMO was upregulated in HSCs cultured with HCC cells-conditioned medium. Next, it was revealed that HCC cells-derived exosomes activated HSCs by transmitting SMO to HSCs. Subsequently, we recognized that microRNA let-7b host gene (MIRLET7BHG) served as the competing endogenous RNA against miR-330-5p to upregulate SMO. In turn, SMO induced hedgehog pathway to promote GLI family zinc finger 1 (Gli1), leading to transcriptional activation of MIRLET7BHG in activated HSCs. In summary, this study demonstrated that Gli1-induced MIRLET7BHG facilitated HCC by activating HSCs through exosomal SMO to stimulate hedgehog pathway, providing a new road for HCC treatment.

Non-Coding RNA Signatures of B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) comprise a diverse class of non-protein coding transcripts that regulate critical cellular processes associated with cancer. Advances in RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) have led to the characterization of non-coding RNA expression across different types of human cancers. Through comprehensive RNA-Seq profiling, a growing number of studies demonstrate that ncRNAs, including long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNA), play central roles in progenitor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) pathogenesis. Furthermore, due to their central roles in cellular homeostasis and their potential as biomarkers, the study of ncRNAs continues to provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of B-ALL. This article reviews the ncRNA signatures reported for all B-ALL subtypes, focusing on technological developments in transcriptome profiling and recently discovered examples of ncRNAs with biologic and therapeutic relevance in B-ALL.

LINC00958 promotes the proliferation of TSCC via miR-211-5p/CENPK axis and activating the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway

Background

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is one of the most common oral tumors. Recently, long intergenic noncoding RNA 00958 (LINC00958) has been identified as an oncogene in human cancers. Nevertheless, the role of LINC00958 and its downstream mechanisms in TSCC is still unknown.

Methods

The effect of LINC00958 on TSCC cells proliferation and growth were assessed by CCK-8, colony formation, 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridline (EdU) assay and flow cytometry assays in vitro and tumor xenograft model in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the target of LINC00958 in TSCC, which was verified by RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays.

Results

LINC00958 was increased in TSCC tissues, and patients with high LINC00958 expression had a shorter overall survival. LINC00958 knockdown significantly decreased the growth rate of TSCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. In mechanism, LINC00958 acted as a ceRNA by competitively sponging miR-211-5p. In addition, we identified CENPK as a direct target gene of miR-211-5p, which was higher in TSCC tissues than that in adjacent normal tissues. Up-regulated miR-211-5p or down-regulated CENPK could abolish LINC00958-induced proliferation promotion in TSCC cells. Furthermore, The overexpression of CENPK promoted the expression of oncogenic cell cycle regulators and activated the JAK/STAT3 signaling.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that LINC00958 is a potential prognostic biomarker in TSCC.

LINC00649 promotes bladder cancer malignant progression by regulating the miR‑15a‑5p/HMGA1 axis

The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of LINC00649 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of bladder cancer (BC) and identify possible mechanisms. Through TCGA database analysis of LINC00649 expression in bladder cancer and the association of LINC00649 with the BC patient prognosis, RT‑qPCR was employed for detecting LINC00649 expression in 60 clinical tissue specimens and cell lines of bladder cancer. The lentivirus stable transfection or small interfering RNA was used to increase or decrease the LINC00649 expression level in T24 and UM‑UC‑3 cells. CCK8 and clone formation assay were utilized to observe the effects of LINC00649 on the proliferation and colony formation of BC cells. Transwell experiment was performed to detect the effects of LINC00649 on the migration and invasion of bladder cancer. Bioinformatics database was used to identify the possible downstream targets of LINC00649 while RT‑qPCR, western blot analysis and dual luciferase reporter gene experiments were carried out to verify the possible molecular mechanism. The TCGA database analysis revealed a significantly high expression of LINC00649 in bladder cancer and an association of LINC00649 expression with overall survival rate of BC patients. As shown by RT‑qPCR detection, LINC00649 expression was notably upregulated in BC tissues and BC cell lines. In addition, statistical analyses unveiled that highly expressed LINC00649 was clearly associated with poor overall survival of bladder cancer. Based on the in vitro cell experiment, upregulated LINC00649 considerately enhanced the proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells, as opposed to those in T24 and UM‑UC‑3 cells by suppressing LINC00649. Mechanically, LINC00649 may promote the malignant progression of bladder cancer by regulating miR‑15a‑5p to promote the HMGA1 expression axis. Overall, LINC00649 upregulates HMGA1 expression by binding to miR‑15a‑5p to enhance the proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells. Thus, LINC00649 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

LncRNA NEAT1 Regulates the Development of Parkinson's Disease by Targeting AXIN1 Via Sponging miR-212-3p

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear-enriched assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) has been reported to be highly expressed in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanism of NEAT1 in PD progression has not been fully elucidated. 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine injection (MPTP) was used to construct PD mouse models in vivo, and 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridine (MPP+) was used to build PD cell models in vitro. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to test the expression of NEAT1, microRNA (miR)-212-3p and axis inhibition protein 1 (AXIN1). The viability, apoptosis and inflammation of cells were determined using cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) assay, flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. Then, the protein levels of apoptosis-related markers and AXIN1 were measured by western blot (WB) analysis. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were performed to verify the interaction between miR-212-3p and NEAT1 or AXIN1. NEAT1 was upregulated in PD mouse models and cell models. Function experiments confirmed that NEAT1 knockdown could promote the viability, suppress the apoptosis and inflammation of MPP+-stimulated SK-N-SH cells to restrain PD progression. MiR-212-3p was downregulated in PD, and its inhibitor could reverse the suppression effect of NEAT1 knockdown on PD progression. Additionally, AXIN1 was a target of miR-212-3p, and its overexpression could invert the inhibition effect of miR-212-3p mimic on PD progression. Furthermore, AXIN1 expression was inhibited by NEAT1 silencing and promoted by NEAT1 overexpression, while these effect could be recovered by miR-212-3p inhibitor and mimic, respectively. Our results demonstrated that NEAT1 knockdown suppressed PD progression through regulating the miR-212-3p/AXIN1 pathway, indicating that NEAT1 might be a therapeutic target for neuroprotection in PD.

Identification of long non-coding RNA signatures for squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas

Studies have demonstrated that both squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and adenocarcinomas (ACs) possess some common molecular characteristics. Evidence has accumulated to support the theory that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in complex diseases such as cancer.

In this study, we aimed to identify pan lncRNA signatures that are common to squamous cell carcinomas or adenocarcinomas with different tissues of origin. With the aid of elastic-net regularized regression models, a 35-lncRNA pan discriminative signature and an 11-lncRNA pan prognostic signature were identified for squamous cell carcinomas, whereas a 6-lncRNA pan discriminative signature and a 5-lncRNA pan prognostic signature were identified for adenocarcinomas. Among them, many well-known cancer relevant genes such as MALAT1 and PVT1 were included.

The identified pan lncRNA lists can help experimental biologists generate research hypotheses and adopt existing treatments for less prevalent cancers. Therefore, these signatures warrant further investigation.

Long noncoding RNA FGF14-AS2 inhibits breast cancer metastasis by regulating the miR-370-3p/FGF14 axis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as important regulators in cancers, including breast cancer. However, the overall biological roles and clinical significance of most lncRNAs are not fully understood. This study aimed to elucidate the potential role of a novel lncRNA FGF14-AS2 and the mechanisms underlying metastasis in breast cancer. The lncRNA FGF14-AS2 was significantly downregulated in breast cancer tissues; patients with lower FGF14-AS2 expression had advanced clinical stage. In vitro and in vivo assays of FGF14-AS2 alterations revealed a complex integrated phenotype affecting breast cancer cell migration, invasion, and tumor metastasis. Mechanistically, FGF14-AS2 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-370-3p, thereby leading to the activation of its coding counterpart, FGF14. Clinically, we observed increased miR-370-3p expression in breast cancer tissues, whereas FGF14 expression was decreased in breast cancer tissues compared to the adjacent normal breast tissues. FGF14-AS2 expression was significantly negatively correlated with miR-370-3p expression, and correlated positively to FGF14 expression. Collectively, our findings support a model in which the FGF14-AS2/miR-370-3p/FGF14 axis is a critical regulator in breast cancer metastasis, suggesting a new therapeutic direction in breast cancer.

MicroRNA-148a-3p suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness properties via Wnt1-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway in pancreatic cancer

Although miR-148a-3p has been reported to function as a tumour suppressor in various cancers, the molecular mechanism of miR-148a-3p in regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness properties of pancreatic cancer (PC) cells remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we demonstrated that miR-148a-3p expression was remarkably down-regulated in PC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, low expression of miR-148a-3p was associated with poorer overall survival (OS) in patients with PC. In vitro, gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments showed that miR-148a-3p suppressed EMT and stemness properties as well as the proliferation, migration and invasion of PC cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that Wnt1 was a direct target of miR-148a-3p, and its expression was inversely associated with miR-148a-3p in PC tissues. Furthermore, miR-148a-3p suppressed the Wnt/β-catenin pathway via down-regulation of Wnt1. The effects of ectopic miR-148a-3p were rescued by Wnt1 overexpression. These biological functions of miR-148a-3p in PC were also confirmed in a nude mouse xenograft model. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-148a-3p suppresses PC cell proliferation, invasion, EMT and stemness properties via inhibiting Wnt1-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway and could be a potential prognostic biomarker as well as a therapeutic target in PC.

Methylation-mediated LINC00261 suppresses pancreatic cancer progression by epigenetically inhibiting c-Myc transcription

Background: Due to the limitations of strategies for its early diagnosis and treatment, pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a substantial human health threat. We previously discovered a methylation-mediated lncRNA, LINC00261, which is downregulated in PC tissues. However, the underlying role of LINC00261 in PC remains largely unknown. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR and in situ hybridization were performed to evaluate the expression levels of LINC00261 in PC, adjacent nontumor and normal pancreas tissues. The clinical significance of LINC00261 was assessed in multicenter PC samples. The functions of LINC00261 in PC were investigated by gain- and loss-of-function assays in vitro and in vivo. Potential downstream pathways and mechanisms were explored via RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to validate the underlying mechanisms. Pyrosequencing and targeted demethylation of the LINC00261 promoter were performed to explore the upstream epigenetic mechanisms and therapeutic potential. Results: LINC00261 was significantly downregulated in PC tissues, and its expression was positively associated with the prognosis of PC patients. Phenotypic studies indicated that LINC00261 overexpression significantly suppressed PC cell proliferation, migration and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. c-Myc was identified as a downstream target of LINC00261. LINC00261 repressed c-Myc transcription by physically interacting and binding with the bromo domain of p300/CBP, preventing the recruitment of p300/CBP to the promoter region of c-Myc and decreasing the H3K27Ac level. Moreover, the methylation level of the LINC00261 promoter was high in PC tissues and was correlated with poor prognosis. Targeted demethylation of the LINC00261 promoter inhibited PC progression both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that methylation-mediated LINC00261 suppresses PC progression by epigenetically repressing c-Myc expression. These findings expand the therapeutic potential of LINC00261, possibly providing evidence to support the development of epigenetic drugs or therapeutic strategies. This research adds further insights into the etiology of PC and indicates that LINC00261 may be a prognostic and therapeutic target in PC.

LINC00441 promotes cervical cancer progression by modulating miR-450b-5p/RAB10 axis

Background

As one of the most common gynaecological malignant tumors, cervical cancer (CC) has become an important public health issue. Emerging evidence has revealed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial regulators of biological functions in cancers, including CC. And the oncogenic role of LINC00441 has been verified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). But the molecular mechanism and biological functions of LINC00441 in CC remain unknown.

Methods

qRT-PCR analysis detected the expression of genes in CC tissues or cells. CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell, western blot assays as well as animal studies were conducted to analyze the function of LINC00441 in CC. Luciferase reporter, RIP and RNA pull down assays were applied to verify the binding relations among the indicated genes.

Results

LINC00441 was upregulated in CC tissues and cells. Further, LINC00441 depletion repressed cell proliferation and motility in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. LINC00441 could sponge miR-450b-5p to upregulate RAB10 expression. Finally, miR-450b-5p inhibitor or RAB10 upregulation counteracted LINC00441 knockdown-mediated function on the development of CC.

Conclusions

LINC00441 drives CC progression by targeting miR-450b-5p/RAB10 axis, which might provide new idea for researching CC-related molecular mechanism.

LncRNA-MALAT1 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells via miR-205-PTK7 pathway

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1 has been confirmed to function as an oncogene in various solid tumors. MALAT1 level has been shown to be upregulated in relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, but the mechanism is unclear. This study aims to investigate the functional roles and underlying mechanisms of MALAT1 in ALL. MALAT1 and miR-205 expression were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). MTT assay and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Protein level of protein tyrosine kinase-7 (PTK7) was detected by Western blot assay. Dual luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm the binding of MALAT1 and miR-205, as well as miR-205 and PTK7. The levels of MALAT1 and PTK7 were upregulated in ALL samples. In contrast, miR-205 level was downregulated in ALL in ALL samples. Moreover, MALAT1 silencing or miR-205 overexpression restrained proliferation and promoted apoptosis of ALL cells. Mechanistically, MALAT1 sponged miR-205 to regulate PTK7 expression. In summary, MALAT1 affected ALL cell proliferation and apoptosis via regulating miR-205-PTK7 axis. Our results suggest that MALAT1-miR-205-PTK7 axis participates in the proliferation and apoptosis of ALL, which may provide a potential treatment target for ALL.

LncRNA-MYL2-2 and miR-124-3p Are Associated with Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders in Patients after Cardiac Surgery

BACKGROUND

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) resulting from cardiac surgery is a complication with high morbidity and mortality. However, the pathogenesis is unknown.

METHODS

For the sake of investigating the risk factors and mechanism of PND, we collected the characteristics and neurological scores of patients undergoing cardiac surgery in the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University and Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from Jan 1, 2016 to Dec 11, 2018.

RESULTS

We found that age and left atrial thrombus are independent risk factors for PND after cardiac surgery. Furthermore, the serum of 29 patients was collected on the 7th day after cardiac surgery for detecting the expression of lncRNA-MYL2-2 and miR-124-3p. Increased lncRNA-MYL2-2 and decreased miR-124-3p in serum were associated with the decline of patients' cognition.

CONCLUSIONS

LncRNA-MYL2-2 and miRNA-124-3p may jointly participate in the occurrence and development of PND after cardiac surgery. These important findings are advantaged to further understand the pathogenesis of PND and prevent it, provide new biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of PND.

CircRNA_102179 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion in non-small cell lung cancer cells by regulating miR-330-5p/HMGB3 axis

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for 85 % of all lung cancer was one of the main causes of death worldwide. In this study, we investigated the role of circRNA_102179 in NSCLC development. The levels of circRNA_102179 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines were determined by quantitative real-time PCR assay (qRT-PCR). CCK8 and colony formation assays were applied to explore the effect of circRNA_102179 on the growth of NSCLC cells in vitro. Transwell assay was utilized to analyze the impact of circRNA_102179 on the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Target prediction and luciferase reporter assay were used to identify the interacting miRNA of circRNA_102179. The interaction among circRNA_102179/ miR-330-5p/HMGB3 was further validated by colony formation and Transwell invasion assays. Finally, the mouse xenograft NSCLC model was used to explore the role of circRNA_102179 in the tumor growth of NSCLC cells in vivo. CircRNA_102179 was overexpressed in NSCLC tissues and cells compared with normal lung tissues and human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEs). The down-regulation of circRNA_102179 markedly reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells. Moreover, down-expression of circRNA_102179 significantly increased the level of miR-330-5p/HMGB3 in NSCLC cells. Further functional experiments indicated that over-expression of miR-330-5p reversed the inhibitory effect of circRNA_102179 on NSCLC cells growth, migration, and invasion. Our results reveal that circRNA_102179 facilitates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cell via modulating miR-330-5p/ HMGB3 axis in NSCLC cells.

Downregulation of LINC00958 inhibits proliferation, invasion and migration, and promotes apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells by targeting miR‑3619‑5p

The aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including LINC00958, has been demonstrated in several types cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the role of LINC00958 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and identify the possible underlying mechanisms. The expression of LINC00958 and microRNA (miR)-3619-5p was detected in several human CRC cell lines using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Then, short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-LINC00958 was transfected into the cells. The results revealed that the expression of LINC00958 was notably upregulated, whereas miR-3619-5p was downregulated in CRC cells. Transfection with shRNA-LINC00958 inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of CRC cells. Moreover, the rate of apoptosis was enhanced, accompanied by a decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 and an increase in the expression of Bax and caspase-3. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to verify the target binding site between LINC00958 and miR-3619-5p. The luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-3619-5p could be directly targeted by LINC00958. Furthermore, the miR-3619-5p inhibitor reversed the effects of LINC00958 silencing on proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis. Taken together, the findings suggest that the downregulation of LINC00958 suppresses the proliferation, invasion and migration, and promotes the apoptosis of CRC cells by targeting miR-3619-5p in vitro, which provides a theoretical basis and therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CRC.

miRNA-based biomarkers, therapies, and resistance in Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) of about 22 nucleotides in size, play important roles in gene regulation, and their dysregulation is implicated in human diseases including cancer. A variety of miRNAs could take roles in the cancer progression, participate in the process of tumor immune, and function with miRNA sponges. During the last two decades, the connection between miRNAs and various cancers has been widely researched. Based on evidence about miRNA, numerous potential cancer biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis have been put forward, providing a new perspective on cancer screening. Besides, there are several miRNA-based therapies among different cancers being conducted, advanced treatments such as the combination of synergistic strategies and the use of complementary miRNAs provide significant clinical benefits to cancer patients potentially. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that many miRNAs are engaged in the resistance of cancer therapies with their complex underlying regulatory mechanisms, whose comprehensive cognition can help clinicians and improve patient prognosis. With the belief that studies about miRNAs in human cancer would have great clinical implications, we attempt to summarize the current situation and potential development prospects in this review.

Long noncoding RNA LINC01559 promotes pancreatic cancer progression by acting as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-1343-3p to upregulate RAF1 expression

Background: An increasing number of studies have shown that lncRNAs are involved in the biological processes of pancreatic cancer (PC). Hence, we investigated the role of a novel noncoding RNA, LINC01559, involved in PC progression.

Results: LINC01559 and RAF1 were highly expressed in PC, while miR-1343-3p had low expression. High expression of LINC01559 was significantly associated with large tumors, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis. Functional experiment results revealed that silencing of LINC01559 significantly suppressed PC cell proliferation and metastasis. Meanwhile, LINC01559 could act as a ceRNA to competitively sponge miR-1343-3p to up-regulate RAF1 and activate its downstream ERK pathway

Conclusions: LINC01559 functions as an oncogene in PC progression through acting as a ceRNA of miR-1343-3p. Hence, LINC01559 is a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target.

Methods: RT-qPCR was performed to determine the expression of LINC01559 and miR-1343-3p in PC. Individual patient data were collected to investigate the correlation between clinicopathological features and LINC01559 expression. Subsequently, the expression of LINC01559, miR-1343-3p, and RAF1 was altered using transfection of vectors or inhibitors. Gain- and loss-of-function assays and mechanistic assays were applied to verify the effects of LINC01559, miR-1343-3p, and RAF1 on PC cell proliferation and metastasis in vivo and in vitro.