Long noncoding RNA FOXC2-AS1 facilitates the proliferation and progression of prostate cancer via targeting miR-1253/EZH2

The vital roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the cancers have been evidenced. However, there are still numerous unsolved queries for the molecular mechanism. This study tries to investigate the role of lncRNA FOXC2-AS1 in the human prostate cancer tumorigenesis. Results stated that lncRNA FOXC2-AS1 was ectopically up-regulated in prostate cancer tissue and cells. The over-expression of FOXC2-AS1 indicates the poor prognosis of prostate cancer patients. Functionally, the gain- and loss-of-functional experiments revealed that FOXC2-AS1 promoted the proliferation and tumor growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, we found that miR-1253 targeted FOXC2-AS1 at the 3'-untranslated regions (UTR), which in turn bind the EZH2 mRNA 3-UTR. Luciferase reporter assay and rescue experiment confirmed the FOXC2-AS1/miR-1253/EZH2 pathway. In conclusion, we confirmed that lncRNA FOXC2-AS1 accelerated the tumor progression of prostate cancer cells by regulating the proliferation and tumor growth through miR-1253/EZH2 axis.