LncRNA LOXL1-AS1 promotes proliferation and invasion and inhibits apoptosis in retinoblastoma by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway

Retinoblastoma (RB) is an intraocular malignancy that is most common in children and rare in adults. Addressing novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for RB to modulate tumor progression has become a challenge. The aim of the present study was to investigate the function of long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) LOXL1-AS1 in RB cell proliferation and metastasis. It was found that LOXL1-AS1 was overexpressed in RB tissues and cells. In order to evaluate cell viability and colony formation potential, the knockdown of LOXL1-AS1 has been established. Knockdown of LOXL1-AS1 was also inhibited cells migration and invasion. In addition, the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase of the sh-LOXL1-AS1 group increased significantly, and the proportion of cells in the sh-NC group decreased significantly. In the xenograft model of RB, the tumors in the sh-LOXL1-AS1 group grow slowly compared to the sh-NC group. Western blot analysis revealed that LOXL1-AS1 can regulate the progression of RB cells through MAPK signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. These results indicated that LncRNA LOXL1-AS1 promotes proliferation, invasion and inhibits apoptosis of retinoblastoma by regulating MAPK signaling pathway, and might be expected to be a novel basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the function of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) LOXL1-AS1 in retinoblastoma (RB) cell proliferation and metastasis. LOXL1-AS1 was found to be overexpressed in RB tissues and cells. Knockdown of LOXL1-AS1 decreased cell viability, colony formation potential, migration, and invasion, while increasing the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase. In a xenograft model, tumors in the sh-LOXL1-AS1 group grew slower compared to the control group. LOXL1-AS1 was found to regulate RB cell progression through the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings suggest that LOXL1-AS1 may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for RB.