The role of MALAT1/miR-1/slug axis on radioresistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Recent studies demonstrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a critical role in the regulation of cancer progression and metastasis. However, little is known whether lncRNA regulated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell radioresistance. In the present study, we found that MALAT1 was significantly upregulated in NPC cell lines and tissues. Knockdown of MALAT1 could sensitize NPC cells to radiation both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, we found that MALAT1 regulated radioresistance by modulating cancer stem cell (CSC) activity. Furthermore, we found that there was reciprocal repression between MALAT1 and miR-1, and slug was identified as a downstream target of miR-1. Taking these observations into consideration, we proposed that MALAT1 regulated CSC activity and radioresistance by modulating miR-1/slug axis, which indicated that MALAT1 could act as a therapeutic target for NPC patients.