LINC00654 promotes ovarian cancer progression by facilitating nuclear export of HuR and stabilizing oncogenic mRNAs

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains a significant challenge in oncology due to its late diagnosis and poor prognosis. Emerging evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in cancer biology. Herein, we reported that LINC00654 was highly expressed in OC tissues and correlated with poor patient prognosis. In addition, LINC00654 silencing restrained OC cell proliferation and migration in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, LINC00654 was identified to directly interact with Human antigen R (HuR), a known RNA-binding protein, through RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and cross‑linking immunoprecipitation (CLIP). Further analysis revealed that LINC00654 could induce the translocation of HuR from the nucleus to the cytosol, where it regulated the stability of its target oncogenes, such as VASH2. The stabilization of VASH2 subsequently activated the TGF-β pathway, which is known to play a critical role in cancer progression. Taken together, these findings establish a specific mechanism by which LINC00654 interacts with HuR, facilitates its nuclear export, and stabilizes VASH2, thereby activating the TGF-β pathway and promoting OC progression. This insight into LINC00654's role in OC provides potential therapeutic targets for intervention.