LncRNA MALAT1 as a prognostic biomarker in endometrial cancer: a molecular genetics approach

This study investigates the role of MALAT1 (metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1) in endometrial cancer, focusing on its expression levels, prognostic significance, and functional impact on tumor biology. RT-qPCR analysis revealed significant upregulation of MALAT1 in endometrial cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues (p < 0.001), with higher expression observed in advanced tumor stages and a correlation with lymphovascular invasion (p < 0.01). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that high MALAT1 expression was associated with shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (log-rank test, p < 0.05). Functional assays indicated that MALAT1 knockdown in Ishikawa and HEC-1A cell lines resulted in decreased cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and impaired angiogenesis (p < 0.01). Mechanistically, MALAT1 was found to act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), sponging tumor-suppressive microRNAs such as miR-200c and miR-145, thereby regulating key oncogenic pathways. Additionally, a strong positive correlation was identified between MALAT1 expression and clinical features, including VEGFA and ZEB1. Therapeutically, MALAT1 silencing using antisense oligonucleotides in a xenograft mouse model significantly reduced tumor growth and microvessel density (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that MALAT1 is a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in endometrial cancer.