TINCR facilitates non-small cell lung cancer progression through BRAF-activated MAPK pathway

Long non-coding RNAs are critically involved in oncogenesis in various cancer types. Here we reported a novel lncRNA signature correlated with progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In particular, we identified elevated expression of terminal differentiation-induced noncoding RNA (TINCR) in human NSCLC samples, which were associated with enhanced migration, viability in NSCLC cells in vitro. Higher TINCR level was also correlated with poor survival. Furthermore, TINCR increased xenograft tumor growth in vivo mouse models. Mechanistic study demonstrated that TINCR can interact with BRAF to facilitate its kinase activity, thereby leading to activation of oncogenic mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. These results suggested that TINCR upregulation may signal through the MAPK pathway to promote NSCLC tumorigenesis. Therefore, TINCR may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for NSCLC patients.