LncRNA LUCRC Regulates Colorectal Cancer Cell Growth and Tumorigenesis by Targeting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response

• Main Authors: Guo-Hui Tang, Xue Chen, Jian-Cheng Ding, Jun Du, Xiao-Ting Lin, Lu Xia, Jia-Bian Lian, Feng Ye, Xiu-Sheng He, Wen Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-01-01
• Series: Frontiers in Genetics
• Subjects: colorectal cancer; long non-coding RNA; unfolded protein response; cell growth; therapeutic target
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2019.01409/full

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and is well known for its strong invasiveness, rapid recurrence, and poor prognosis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the development of various types of cancers, including colorectal cancer. Here, through transcriptomic analysis and functional screening, we reported that lncRNA LUCRC (LncRNA Upregulated in Colorectal Cancer) is highly expressed in colorectal tumor samples and is required for colorectal cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in cultured cells and tumorigenesis in xenografts. LUCRC was found to regulate target gene expression of unfolded protein response (UPR) in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), such as BIP. The clinical significance of LUCRC is underscored by the specific presence of LUCRC in blood plasma of patients with colorectal cancers. These findings revealed a critical regulator of colorectal cancer development, which might serve as a therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.