Long Noncoding RNA KTN1-AS1 Promotes Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition by Targeting miR-153-3p

Abstract

Aim: To explore the biological functions and clinicopathologic significance of the long noncoding RNA KTN1-AS1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Materials & methods: We assessed the effects of KTN1-AS1 and identified the target miRNA by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. The clinicopathologic features of KTN1-AS1 and its target miRNA were analyzed in HNSCC. Results:KTN1-AS1, a competing endogenous RNA, promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition by sponging miR-153-3p in HNSCC. Dysregulation of SNAI1 and ZEB2 mediated the effect of KTN1-AS1 due to miR-153-3p exhaustion. The KTN1-AS1 and miR-153-3p combination can accurately diagnose HNSCC. Conclusion: The KTN1-AS1 and miR-153-3p combination could be a valuable diagnostic and prognostic predictor for HNSCC.

Keywords::

• ceRNA
• epithelial–mesenchymal transition
• HNSCC
• KTN1-AS1
• lncRNA
• miR-153-3p

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/epi-2019-0173

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was supported by the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (81874126, 81972573, 81772933 and 81472515), the 64th Post-doctoral Science Foundation of China (2018M642049), the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission (18JC1413700, 18DZ2291500), and the grants from Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Academician Workstation of Zhengzhou (152PYSGZ040). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The study was conducted in accordance with Good Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was also approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients.

Animal welfare and experimental procedures were conducted in compliance with the Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (The Ministry of Science and Technology of China, 2006) and the related ethical regulations of the hospital. The Animal Care and Use Committees of the hospital approved all experimental procedures.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (81874126, 81972573, 81772933 and 81472515), the 64th Post-doctoral Science Foundation of China (2018M642049), the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission (18JC1413700, 18DZ2291500), and the grants from Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Academician Workstation of Zhengzhou (152PYSGZ040). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization orentity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.