Long non-coding RNA SPRY4-IT1 promotes cell proliferation and invasion by regulation of Cdc20 in pancreatic cancer cells

A new method for network bioinformatics identifies novel drug targets for mucinous ovarian carcinoma

Mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC) is a subtype of ovarian cancer that is distinct from all other ovarian cancer subtypes and currently has no targeted therapies. To identify novel therapeutic targets, we developed and applied a new method of differential network analysis comparing MOC to benign mucinous tumours (in the absence of a known normal tissue of origin). This method mapped the protein-protein network in MOC and then utilised structural bioinformatics to prioritise the proteins identified as upregulated in the MOC network for their likelihood of being successfully drugged. Using this protein-protein interaction modelling, we identified the strongest 5 candidates, CDK1, CDC20, PRC1, CCNA2 and TRIP13, as structurally tractable to therapeutic targeting by small molecules. siRNA knockdown of these candidates performed in MOC and control normal fibroblast cell lines identified CDK1, CCNA2, PRC1 and CDC20, as potential drug targets in MOC. Three targets (TRIP13, CDC20, CDK1) were validated using known small molecule inhibitors. Our findings demonstrate the utility of our pipeline for identifying new targets and highlight potential new therapeutic options for MOC patients.

Deciphering the molecular mechanism of long non-coding RNA HIF1A-AS1 regulating pancreatic cancer cells

Background

HIF1A-AS1, an antisense transcript of HIF1α gene, is a 652-bp LncRNA that is globally expressed in multiple tissues of animals. Recent evidence indicated that HIF1A-AS1 was involved in tumorigenesis of several types of cancer. However, the role of lncRNA in PC has not been reported, and the molecular mechanism remains elusive.

Results

In order to investigate the role of HIF1A-AS1 in PC, it was overexpressed in some PC cell lines (PANC-1, PATU8988 and SW1990), and a series of experiments including cell viability detection, flow cytometry, transwell migration, clone formation and wound healing were performed. Functionally, the results indicated that overexpression of HIF1A-AS1 could greatly inhibit proliferation and migration and promote apoptosis of PC cells. Moreover, the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) quantitative proteomics analysis was implemented to explore the underlying mechanism and the results indicated that OE of HIF1A-AS1 globally affected the expression levels of multiple proteins associated with metabolism of cancer. At last, the network analysis revealed that most of these differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were integrated and severed essential roles in regulatory function. In view of this, we guessed HIF1A-AS1 overexpression induced the dysfunction of metabolism and disordered proteins' translation, which may account for its excellent tumour suppressor effect.

Conclusions

HIF1A-AS1 altered the cell function of PC cell lines via affecting the expression of numerous proteins. In summary, HIF1A-AS1 may exhibit a potential therapeutic effect on PC, and our study provided useful information in this filed.

The potential role of CDC20 in tumorigenesis, cancer progression and therapy: A narrative review

The cell division cycle 20 homologue (CDC20) is known to regulate the cell cycle. Many studies have suggested that dysregulation of CDC20 is associated with various pathological processes in malignant solid tumors, including tumorigenesis, progression, chemoradiotherapy resistance, and poor prognosis, providing a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Some researchers have demonstrated that CDC20 also regulates apoptosis, immune microenvironment, and tumor angiogenesis. In this review, we have systematically summarized the biological functions of CDC20 in solid cancers. Furthermore, we briefly synthesized multiple medicines that inhibited CDC20. We anticipate that CDC20 will be a promising and effective biomarker and therapeutic target for the treatment of human cancer.

Long Non-Coding RNAs Associated with Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Human Pancreatic Cancer

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as a significant player in various cancers, including pancreatic cancer. However, how lncRNAs are aberrantly expressed in cancers is largely unknown. We hypothesized that lncRNAs would be regulated by signaling pathways and contribute to malignant phenotypes of cancer. In this study, to understand the significance of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK), which is a major aberrant signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer, for the expression of lncRNAs, we performed comparative transcriptome analyses between pancreatic cancer cell lines with or without activation of MAPK. We identified 45 lncRNAs presumably associated with MAPK in pancreatic cancer cells; among these, LINC00941 was consistently upregulated by MAPK. The immediate genomic upstream region flanking LINC00941 was identified as a promoter region, the activity of which was found to be preferentially associated with MAPK activity via ETS-1 binding site. LINC00941 promoted cell proliferation in vitro. Moreover, TCGA data analysis indicated that high expression of LINC00941 was associated with poor prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. Transcriptomes comparing transcriptions between cells with and without LINC00941 knockdown revealed 3229 differentially expressed genes involved in 44 biological processes, including the glycoprotein biosynthetic process, beta-catenin-TCF complex assembly, and histone modification. These results indicate that MAPK mediates the aberrant expression of lncRNAs. LINC00941 is the lncRNA by MAPK most consistently promoted, and is implicated in the dismal prognosis of pancreatic cancer. MAPK-associated lncRNAs may play pivotal roles in malignant phenotypes of pancreatic cancer, and as such might represent both potentially valid therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers.

A Review on the Role of SPRY4-IT1 in the Carcinogenesis

Sprouty RTK signaling antagonist 4-intronic transcript 1 (SPRY4-IT1) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) encoded by a gene located on 5q31.3. This lncRNA has a possible role in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. Moreover, since SPRY4-IT1 controls levels of lipin 2, it is also involved in the biosynthesis of lipids. During the process of biogenesis, SPRY4-IT1 is produced as a primary transcript which is then cleaved to generate a mature transcript which is localized in the cytoplasm. SPRY4-IT1 has oncogenic roles in diverse tissues. A possible route of participation of SPRY4-IT1 in the carcinogenesis is through sequestering miRNAs such as miR-101-3p, miR-6882-3p and miR-22-3p. The sponging effect of SPRY4-IT1 on miR-101 has been verified in colorectal cancer, osteosarcoma, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, gastric cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. SPRY4-IT1 has functional interactions with HIF-1α, NF-κB/p65, AMPK, ZEB1, MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling. We explain the role of SPRY4-IT1 in the carcinogenesis according to evidence obtained from cell lines, xenograft models and clinical studies.

microRNA-1321 and microRNA-7515 contribute to the progression of non-small cell lung cancer by targeting CDC20

Cell division cycle 20 (CDC20) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are differentially expressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The current study aimed to investigate the role of miR-1321 and miR-7515 regulation in CDC20 during NSCLC development. CDC20 expression in paracancerous and tumor tissues was assessed using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between CDC20 expression and prognosis of patients was analyzed using the TCGA database. The expression profile of CDC20 in healthy lung cells and NSCLC cells was detected using qRT-PCR and western blotting. After the knockdown of CDC20 in NSCLC cells, the cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and cell cycle changes were investigated by CCK8, EdU, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell assays. The miRNAs targeting CDC20 were predicted using two bioinformatics websites and validated using dual-luciferase assays. CDC20 was enhanced in NSCLC tissues and cells, thus predicting the poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. After CDC20 inhibition, the malignant phenotype of NSCLC cells was reverted. miR-1321 and miR-7515 targeted CDC20 and exhibited the same anti-tumor effects as CDC20 silencing. Functional rescue experiments showed that CDC20 overexpression averted the anti-tumor effects of miR-1321 and miR-7515 on NSCLC cells. miR-1321 and miR-7515 inhibited NSCLC development by targeting CDC20. Thus, the current study has implications in NSCLC treatment and provides novel insights into NSCLC management.

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.

Long non-coding RNA NORAD promotes pancreatic cancer stem cell proliferation and self-renewal by blocking microRNA-202-5p-mediated ANP32E inhibition

Background

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are key regulators in the processes of tumor initiation, progression, and recurrence. The mechanism that maintains their stemness remains enigmatic, although the role of several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been highlighted in the pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs). In this study, we first established that PCSCs overexpressing lncRNA NORAD, and then investigated the effects of NORAD on the maintenance of PCSC stemness.

Methods

Expression of lncRNA NORAD, miR-202-5p and ANP32E in PC tissues and cell lines was quantified after RNA isolation. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA pull-down and RIP assays were performed to verify the interactions among NORAD, miR-202-5p and ANP32E. We then carried out gain- and loss-of function of miR-202-5p, ANP32E and NORAD in PANC-1 cell line, followed by measurement of the aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle distribution, colony formation, self-renewal ability and tumorigenicity of PC cells.

Results

LncRNA NORAD and ANP32E were upregulated in PC tissues and cells, whereas the miR-202-5p level was down-regulated. LncRNA NORAD competitively bound to miR-202-5p, and promoted the expression of the miR-202-5p target gene ANP32E thereby promoting PC cell viability, proliferation, and self-renewal ability in vitro, as well as facilitating tumorigenesis of PCSCs in vivo.

Conclusion

Overall, lncRNA NORAD upregulates ANP32E expression by competitively binding to miR-202-5, which accelerates the proliferation and self-renewal of PCSCs.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-021-03052-5.

Connection Between CDC20 Expression and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognosis

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs frequently in China, with high morbidity and mortality. Cell division cycle 20 homolog (CDC20) is reportedly related to many cancers. In this study, we discuss a potential link of CDC20 expression to HCC patients’ prognoses.

Material/Methods

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to assess CDC20 expression in HCC and the paired noncancerous tissues. Chi-square analysis was used to assess potential association of CDC20 expression with clinicopathologic profiles among HCC patients. The overall survival for HCC patients with different CDC20 expressions was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. To evaluate the prognostic value for HCC patients, Cox regression analyses were performed.

Results

The expression of CDC20 was elevated among HCC specimens compared with adjacent noncancerous ones (P<0.05). The expression of CDC20 was significantly related to differentiation (P<0.001), tumor node metastasis stage (P<0.001), and lymphatic metastasis (P<0.001). Moreover, HCC patients with high CDC20 expression had dismal overall survival rates compared with low CDC20 expression (P<0.05). CDC20 alone could forecast HCC prognoses according to multivariable Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio=2.354, 95% confidence interval=1.177–4.709, P=0.016).

Conclusions

Overexpressed CDC20 may act as a reliable biomarker for dismal prognoses among HCC patients.

Roles and Mechanisms of the Long Noncoding RNAs in Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) continues to be one of the leading causes of death for women across the world. Although it has been determined that papillomavirus infection is one of the main causes of the etiology of the disease, genetic and epigenetic factors are also required for its progression. Among the epigenetic factors are included the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), transcripts of more than 200 nucleotides (nt) that generally do not code for proteins and have been associated with diverse functions such as the regulation of transcription, translation, RNA metabolism, as well as stem cell maintenance and differentiation, cell autophagy and apoptosis. Recently, studies have begun to characterize the aberrant regulation of lncRNAs in CC cells and tissues, including Homeobox transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), H19, Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), Cervical Carcinoma High-Expressed 1 (CCHE1), Antisense noncoding RNA in the inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (ANRIL), Growth arrest special 5 (GAS5) and Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1). They have been associated with several disease-related processes such as cell growth, cell proliferation, cell survival, metastasis and invasion as well as therapeutic resistance, and are novel potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in CC. In this review, we summarize the current literature regarding the knowledge we have about the roles and mechanisms of the lncRNAs in cervical neoplasia.

SPRY4-IT1 promotes survival of colorectal cancer cells through regulating PDK1-mediated glycolysis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) becomes the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide recently. The prognosis of CRC is still poor in decades, and targeted therapy is still a potential effective treatment. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) could regulate series of cellular functions and developmental processes. LncRNA-SPRY4-IT1 (GenBank ID AK024556) is derived from an intron of the SPRY4 gene, which was highly expressed in melanoma cells and affected the progression of multiple types of cancers. However, the mechanism of SPRY4-IT1 in CRC progression remains unclear. Herein, we found the high level of SPRY4-IT1 in human colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues and cells, and correlated with patients' prognosis. We further noticed that SPRY4-IT1 regulated CRC cell growth and glycolysis, and promoting PDK1 expression. Our data further confirmed that SPRY4-IT1 regulated CRC progression targeting PDK1. We therefore thought SPRY4-IT1 could serve as a promising molecular target for the treatment of CRC.

Long Non-Coding RNAs As Epigenetic Regulators in Cancer

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute large portions of the mammalian transcriptome which appeared as a fundamental player, regulating various cellular mechanisms. LncRNAs do not encode proteins, have mRNA-like transcripts and frequently processed similar to the mRNAs. Many investigations have determined that lncRNAs interact with DNA, RNA molecules or proteins and play a significant regulatory function in several biological processes, such as genomic imprinting, epigenetic regulation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and differentiation. LncRNAs can modulate gene expression on three levels: chromatin remodeling, transcription, and post-transcriptional processing. The majority of the identified lncRNAs seem to be transcribed by the RNA polymerase II. Recent evidence has illustrated that dysregulation of lncRNAs can lead to many human diseases, in particular, cancer. The aberrant expression of lncRNAs in malignancies contributes to the dysregulation of proliferation and differentiation process. Consequently, lncRNAs can be useful to the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, and have been characterized as potential cancer markers as well. In this review, we highlighted the role and molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs and their correlation with some of the cancers.

The Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer, the most common endocrine malignancy, has become the most commonly diagnosed malignant solid tumor. Moreover, some cases have poor prognosis, and the survival period is only 3-5 months. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of functional RNA molecules more than 200 nucleotides in length that lack the ability to encode protein but participate in all aspects of gene regulation. Functionally, many lncRNAs play essential roles in epigenetic regulation at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels via various molecular mechanisms. Recent studies have discovered important roles for lncRNAs during the complex process of carcinogenesis in thyroid cancer. In this review, we focus on lncRNAs dysregulated in thyroid cancer and summarize recently reported associations between lncRNAs and thyroid cancer in order to demonstrate the significant value of lncRNAs in diagnosis and treatment.

Upregulation of cell division cycle 20 in cisplatin resistance-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in osteosarcoma cells

Cell division cycle 20 homologue (Cdc20) is characterized as an oncoprotein that is involved in carcinogenesis. Accumulated evidence reveals that Cdc20 plays an oncogenic role by governing cell growth, apoptosis, motility, and metastasis. The role of Cdc20 in drug resistance is elusive. In the present study, we exploited whether Cdc20 is involved in the cisplatin (DDP) resistance-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of osteosarcoma cells. We found that DDP resistant U2OS and MG63 cells underwent EMT. Moreover, DDP-resistant cells exhibit the mesenchymal features such as enhanced attachment and detachment and increased invasion activity and migration. Mechanistically, Cdc20 was highly expressed in DDP-resistant osteosarcoma cells compared to parental cells. Consistently, downregulation of CdcC20 in DDP-resistant cells reversed the EMT phenotypes and changed the expression of EMT biomarkers. Our studies provide evidence for targeting Cdc20 as a promising approach to enhancing drug sensitivity for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Biological and clinical relevance of metastasis-associated long noncoding RNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a foremost cancer-related death worldwide owing to rapid metastasis and poor prognosis. Metastasis, as the most important reason for death, is biologically a multifaceted process involving a range of cell signaling pathways. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), as transcriptional regulators, can regulate numerous genomic processes and cellular processes such as cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. LncRNAs have also been shown to involve in/regulate the cancer metastasis-related signaling pathways. Hence, they have increasingly been brought to international attention in molecular oncology research. A number of researchers have attempted to reveal the biological and clinical relevance of lncRNAs in ESCC tumourigenesis and metastasis. The aberrant expression of these molecules in ESCC has regularly been reported to involve in various cellular processes and clinical features, including diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic responses. Here, we especially consider the pathways in which lncRNAs act as metastasis-mediated effectors, mainly by interacting with epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated factors. We review the biological roles of lncRNAs through involving in ESCC metastasis as well as the clinical significance of the metastasis-related lncRNAs in cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

CDK1 and CCNB1 as potential diagnostic markers of rhabdomyosarcoma: validation following bioinformatics analysis

Background

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a common soft-tissue malignancy in pediatrics, presents high invasiveness and mortality. However, besides known changes in the PAX3/7-FOXO1 fusion gene in alveolar RMS, the molecular mechanisms of the disease remain incompletely understood. The purpose of the study is to recognize potential biomarkers related with RMS and analyse their molecular mechanism, diagnosis and prognostic significance.

Methods

The Gene Expression Omnibus was used to search the RMS and normal striated muscle data sets. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered using R software. The DAVID has become accustomed to performing functional annotations and pathway analysis on DEGs.

The protein interaction was constructed and further processed by the STRING tool and Cytoscape software. Kaplan–Meier was used to estimate the effect of hub genes on the ending of sarcoma sufferers, and the expression of these genes in RMS was proved by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Finally, the expression of CDK1 and CCNB1 in RMS was validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

A total of 1932 DEGs were obtained, amongst which 1505 were up-regulated and 427were down-regulated. Up-regulated genes were largely enriched in the cell cycle, ECM-receptor interaction, PI3K/Akt and p53 pathways, whilst down-regulated genes were primarily enriched in the muscle contraction process. CDK1, CCNB1, CDC20, CCNB2, AURKB, MAD2L1, HIST2H2BE, CENPE, KIF2C and PCNA were identified as hub genes by Cytoscape analyses. Survival analysis showed that, except for HIST2H2BE, the other hub genes were highly expressed and related to poor prognosis in sarcoma. RT-PCR validation showed that CDK1, CCNB1, CDC20, CENPE and HIST2H2BE were significantly differential expression in RMS compared to the normal control. IHC revealed that the expression of CDK1 (28/32, 87.5%) and CCNB1 (26/32, 81.25%) were notably higher in RMS than normal controls (1/9, 11.1%; 0/9, 0%). Moreover, the CCNB1 was associated with the age and location of the patient’s onset.

Conclusions

These results show that these hub genes, especially CDK1 and CCNB1, may be potential diagnostic biomarkers for RMS and provide a new perspective for the pathogenesis of RMS.

Long noncoding RNA LINC00473 drives the progression of pancreatic cancer via upregulating programmed death-ligand 1 by sponging microRNA-195-5p

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a great health burden to patients owing to its poor overall survival rate. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) interact with microRNAs (miRs) to participate in tumorigenesis. Therefore, we aim to uncover the role and related mechanism of LINC00473 in PC through the modulation of miR-195-5p and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Increased LINC00473 and PD-L1 but declined miR-195-5p were determined in PC tissues and cell lines, and it was found that LINC00473 mainly situated in the cytoplasm. Also, miR-195-5p was verified to bind with both LINC00473 and PD-L1. Next, with the aim to examine the ability of LINC00473, miR-195-5p, and PD-L1 on the PC progression, the expression of LINC00473, miR-195-5p and PD-L1 were altered with mimics, inhibitors, overexpression vectors or siRNAs in PC cells and cocultured CD8⁺ T cells. It was demonstrated that LINC00473 sponged miR-195-5p to upregulate PD-L1 expression. More important, the obtained results revealed that LINC00473 silencing or miR-195-5p upregulation elevated the expression of Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), interferon (IFN)-γ, and interleukin (IL)-4 but reduced the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and IL-10, thus inducing the enhancement of the apoptosis as along with the inhibition of proliferation, invasion, and migration of the PC cells. LINC00473 silencing or miR-195-5p elevation activated the CD8⁺ T cells. Taken together, LINC00473 silencing blocked the PC progression through enhancing miR-195-5p-targeted downregulation of PD-L1. This finding offers new therapeutic options for treating this devastating disease.

The protean world of non-coding RNAs in glioblastoma

Non-coding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) are a diverse group of RNA molecules that are mostly not translated into proteins following transcription. We review the role of ncRNAs in the pathobiology of glioblastoma (GBM), and their potential applications for GBM therapy. Significant advances in our understanding of the protean manifestations of ncRNAs have been made, allowing us to better decipher the molecular complexity of GBM. A large number of regulatory ncRNAs appear to have a greater influence on the molecular pathology of GBM than thought previously. Importantly, also, a range of therapeutic approaches are emerging whereby ncRNA-based systems may be used to molecularly target GBM. The most successful of these is RNA interference, and some of these strategies are being evaluated in ongoing clinical trials. However, a number of limitations exist in the clinical translation of ncRNA-based therapeutic systems, such as delivery mechanisms and cytotoxicity; concerted research endeavors are currently underway in an attempt to overcome these. Ongoing and future studies will determine the potential practical role for ncRNA-based therapeutic systems in the clinical management of GBM. These applications may be especially promising, given that current treatment options are limited and prognosis remains poor for this challenging malignancy.

Interference from LncRNA SPRY4-IT1 restrains the proliferation, migration, and invasion of melanoma cells through inactivating MAPK pathway by up-regulating miR-22-3p

Melanoma is a common malignancy with a low survival rate worldwide. Long non-coding RNA Sprouty4-Intron 1 (SPRY4-IT1) is correlated with various cancers, including melanoma. Herein, the underlying molecular mechanisms of SPRY4-IT1 in melanoma were characterized. We found that SPRY4-IT1 level was upregulated in melanoma cells lines compared to the normal skin cells, while miR-22-3p was downregulated. According to of bioinformatics analysis, SPRY4-IT1 was a hypothetic target of miR-22-3p, and knockdown SPRY4-IT1 by sh-RNA (sh-SPRY4-IT1) markedly elevated the miR-22-3p level. Also, the target relationship was further confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay. In addition, low-expression of SPRY4-IT1 impeded cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, western blot assay indicated that the enhanced miR-22-3p further decelerated the phosphorylation of p38MAPK, MAPKAPK and Hsp27, which indicates that miR-22-3p could inactivate the p38MAPK/MAPKAPK/Hsp27 signaling pathway. Overall, our results show that sh-SPRY4-IT1 inhibits cell proliferation and motility through inactivating MAPK signaling by up-regulating miR-22-3p. Therefore, designing targeted drugs against SPRY4-IT1 provides a new direction for the treatment of melanoma.