Long non-coding RNA taurine upregulated 1 regulates the progression of head and neck cancer

Taurine upregulated 1 (TUG1), whose function is associated with tumor development, is a relatively new long non-coding RNA. TUG1 is overexpressed in multiple types of cancers. However, in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the behavior of TUG1 has not yet been completely elucidated. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the function of TUG1 in HNSCC and develop a novel therapeutic target. We analyzed the expression levels of TUG1 in patients with HNSCC using The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset and human oral keratinocytes, and five HNSCC cell lines (HSC-4, Sa3, HSQ-89, SAS, and Ca9-22) through quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The biological role of TUG1 in HNSCC was investigated using cell growth and migration assays with antisense oligonucleotides in Ca9-22 and SAS cell lines. TUG1 target genes were identified via microarray analysis. The TUG1 expression level was considerably higher in tumor than in normal tissues, and the same result was observed in human oral keratinocytes and all HNSCC cell lines. TUG1 knockdown dramatically inhibited cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, we identified nemo-like kinase, which may change in tandem with TUG1 expression. Our findings indicate the possibility for targeting the TUG1-nemo-like kinase axis as a novel approach for the treatment of HNSCC.