LncRNA CYTOR knockdown inhibits tumor development via regulating miR-503-5p/PCSK9 in lung adenocarcinoma

The intricate biological mechanism underlying lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), characterized by a deficiency of distinctive biomarkers, remain elusive. The presence of Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been established to play a role in carcinogenesis. Nevertheless, the regulatory effects and mechanisms of lncRNA CYTOR in LUAD have yet to be elucidated.

In this study, RT-qPCR and Western blot were adopted to examine gene mRNA and protein expression, respectively. Cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK-8 assays. Transwell was performed to assay cell migration and invasion. The function of CYTOR in vivo was investigated through a xenograft animal model.

We observed an apparent upregulation of CYTOR in LUAD. Silencing CYTOR significantly reduced proliferation, migration, and invasion capabilities of LUAD cells. Mechanism analysis indicated that CYTOR targeted the miR-503-5p/PCSK9 axis. Additionally, inhibiting of miR-503-5p partially reversed the inhibitory effects of CYTOR silencing on the malignant progression of LUAD cells. Animal experiments revealed that CYTOR/miR-503-5p/PCSK9 curbed tumor formation of nude mice in vivo.

These findings demonstrated that lncRNA CYTOR acted as an oncogene in LUAD, regulating tumor malignant progression through the miR-503-5p/PCSK9 axis. This study unveiled a new regulation mechanism of LUAD progression, offering potential therapeutic targets for LUAD.