Unraveling the Pivotal Role of LncRNA DUXAP9 in Cancer: Current Progress and Future Perspectives

Double homeobox A pseudogene 9 (DUXAP9), also known as long intergenic non-coding RNA 1296 (LINC01296) and lymph node metastasis-associated transcript 1 (LNMAT1), is an emerging lncRNA encoded by a pseudogene. It has been reported to be upregulated in various tumor types and functions as an oncogenic factor. The high expression of DUXAP9 is closely related to clinical pathological features and poor prognosis in 16 types of malignant tumors. DUXAP9 is transcriptionally activated by YY-1 and Twist1 and functions as a guide or scaffold for biomolecular complexes and chromatin modifiers, or as a "decoy" for miRNAs, mRNAs, and proteins, thereby regulating gene expression. Moreover, the PI3K/AKT, NF-κB, MAPK/ERK, and Wnt/β- catenin signaling pathways are variously activated or inhibited by DUXAP9, subsequently influencing the biological behaviors of tumor cells, including proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and drug resistance. This review summarizes recent research on DUXAP9 in oncology, offering insights into its expression characteristics, biological functions, molecular mechanisms, and clinical significance for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.