LncRNA LINC00888 upregulation predicts a worse survival of laryngeal cancer patients and accelerates the growth and mobility of laryngeal cancer cells through regulation of miR-378g/TFRC

In this study, we aimed to detect the clinical significance and potential mechanism of LINC00888 in laryngeal cancer. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) afforded the expression of LINC00888 in laryngeal cancer samples. The clinical significance of LINC00888 expression in laryngeal cancer was demonstrated by chi(2), Cox analysis, and Kaplan-Meier. The downstream targets of LINC00888 were identified based on analysis from bioinformatics and laryngeal cancer-related TCGA data sets. The microRNA-378g (miR-378g)/TFRC (transferrin receptor) axis was selected and identified by qRT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and luciferase activity assays. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation, and transwell assays were applied to detect the phenotypes of laryngeal cancer cells. We observed that LINC00888 expression was notably increased in laryngeal cancer and associated with death, recurrence, and prognosis. Depletion of LINC00888 repressed the proliferative and motile abilities of laryngeal cancer cells in vitro. LINC00888 was predicted to act as a competing endogenous RNA within the microRNA (miRNA)/messenger RNA (mRNA) axis based on analysis from bioinformatics and laryngeal cancer-related TCGA data sets. Interestingly, we discovered that LINC00888 functioned as an miRNA sponge to suppress the effect of miR-378g on laryngeal cancer cells behaviors, as well as positively regulate TFRC expression. Furthermore, the knockdown of TFRC strengthened the inhibitory effect of si-LINC00888 on laryngeal cancer cells' malignant properties. LINC00888 is an oncogenic lncRNA that promotes the growth and mobility of laryngeal cancer cells by controlling laryngeal cancer-related mRNA and tumor-suppressive miRNA. The LINC00888/miR-378g/TFRC pathway might lead to the development of laryngeal cancer cells and, therefore, might be a candidate therapeutic target for laryngeal cancer.

Automated summary

LINC00888 is overexpressed in laryngeal cancer and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. It functions as a competing endogenous RNA to regulate the miR-378g/TFRC axis, promoting the growth and mobility of laryngeal cancer cells. Targeting the LINC00888/miR-378g/TFRC pathway may offer a potential therapeutic strategy for laryngeal cancer.