ABSTRACT

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a main cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in diverse cancers. LncRNA-UBE2R2-AS1 has been reported to promote apoptosis in glioma cell. However, the expressions, functions, and mechanisms of action of UBE2R2-AS1 in HCC are still unclear. UBE2R2-AS1 is increased in HCC tissues and cell lines. Increased expression of UBE2R2-AS1 is associated with large tumor size, multiple tumor number, advanced TNM stage, and poor survival of HCC patients. Functional experiments showed that knockdown UBE2R2-AS1 inhibited HCC growth and metastasis through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Regarding the mechanism, UBE2R2-AS1/miR-302b/EGFR established the ceRNA network involved in the modulation of cell progression of HCC cells via activation of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Overall, UBE2R2-AS1 may exhibit an oncogenic function in HCC via acting as a sponge for miR-302b to up-regulate EGFR, and may serve as a potential therapeutic target and a prognostic biomarker for HCC patients.

摘要

肝细胞癌 (HCC) 是全球癌症相关死亡的主要原因。长链非编码 RNA (lncRNA) 在多种癌症中发挥重要作用。据报道，LncRNA-UBE2R2-AS1 可促进胶质瘤细胞凋亡。然而，UBE2R2-AS1在HCC中的表达、功能和作用机制尚不清楚。UBE2R2-AS1 在 HCC 组织和细胞系中增加。UBE2R2-AS1 表达增加与大肿瘤大小、多个肿瘤数量、晚期 TNM 分期和 HCC 患者的不良生存相关。功能实验表明，通过体外和体内实验，敲低 UBE2R2-AS1 可以抑制 HCC 的生长和转移。关于机制，UBE2R2-AS1/miR-302b/EGFR建立了ceRNA网络，通过PI3K-AKT信号通路的激活参与了HCC细胞进程的调控。