Ching‑Feng Chenga,b, Ya‑Ting Tuc, Yi‑Ru Chenc, Ming‑Cheng Leec, Hui‑Chen Kua, Kuo‑Wang Tsaic,d*
aDepartment of Pediatrics, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan, bSchool of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, cDepartment of Research, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan, dDepartment of Nursing, Cardinal Tien Junior College of Healthcare and Management, Taipei, Taiwan
Open Access funded by Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation
Abstract
Objectives: The role of LOC441461, a long noncoding RNA, differs in different cancer types, and its role in lung cancer remains unclear. Materials and Methods: We investigated the clinical significance of LOC441461 expression in lung cancer using bioinformatics analyses. To explore the biological function of LOC441461, we performed siRNA‑mediated knockdown in lung cancer cells and evaluated its effects on cell proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression. Results: LOC441461 was found to be significantly overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and LOC441461 overexpression was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with LUAD. LOC441461 knockdown significantly inhibited cell growth and induced a modest but statistically significant increase in apoptosis in lung cancer cells. According to a cell cycle analysis, LOC441461 knockdown induced G0/G1 arrest in A549 cells; increased p21 and p27 expression; and reduced the levels of CDK4 and the cyclins A2, B1, and D1, similar to p53‑dependent regulation. By contrast, H1299 cells exhibited G2/M accumulation with no change in p21 and p27 levels, suggesting a p53‑independent mechanism. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that high LOC441461 expression is correlated with worse prognosis in LUAD. These results support the potential of LOC441461 as a novel therapeutic and prognostic target in LUAD.
Keywords: lncRNA, LOC441461, Lung cancer
