Long noncoding RNA ROR1-AS1 induces tumor metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by sponging miR-375 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE

The vital role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumor progression has been identified in numerous studies. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most ordinary malignant tumors. This study aims to explore the role of lncRNA ROR1-AS1 in the metastasis of NPC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to measure ROR1-AS1 expression in 50 NPC tissues. The function assays including wound healing assay and transwell assay were conducted to detect the behavior changes of NPC cells after the knockdown of ROR1-AS1, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of NPC metastasis was further measured by performing the Western blot assay in vitro. Besides, the target miRNAs were also explored by luciferase assays and RNA immunoprecipitation assay (RIP).

RESULTS

ROR1-AS1 expression level was significantly higher in NPC samples compared with that in adjacent tissues. The knockdown of ROR1-AS1 reduced cell migration and cell invasion of NPC cells, which was identified to inhibit the EMT process of NPC. Furthermore, it was discovered that miR-375 was upregulated via knockdown of ROR1-AS1 and further mechanism assays showed that ROR1-AS1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA via sponging miR-375 in NPC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that ROR1-AS1 could act as a sponge for miR-375 and promote cell migration and invasion by inducing EMT process in NPC.