Long noncoding RNA HOXA-AS2 promotes cell migration and invasion via upregulating IGF-2 in non-small cell lung cancer as an oncogene

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have revealed the vital role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumor progression. This study aims to determine whether lncRNA HOXA-AS2 functions in the metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (QRT-PCR) was conducted to detect HOXA-AS2 expression in NSCLC tissues. Wound healing assay and transwell assay were performed to evaluate the function of HOXA-AS2 in mediating the behaviors of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the interaction between IGF2 and HOXA-AS2 in mediating the metastasis of NSCLC was analyzed. RESULTS: By comparing with the expression level in adjacent tissues, HOXA-AS2 expression was higher in NSCLC samples. Moreover, HOXA-AS2 knockdown inhibited invasion and migration of NSCLC cells and, conversely, HOXA-AS2 overexpression obtained the opposite results. In addition, the mRNA and protein expressions of IGF2 were downregulated via HOXA-AS2 knockdown. Besides, the expression of IGF2 was positively correlated to the expression of HOXA-AS2 in NSCLC tissues. CONCLUSIONS: In this work, HOXA-AS2 could enhance migratory and invasive abilities of NSCLC cells by upregulating IGF2, which might offer a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.