Long Noncoding RNA ANRIL Regulates Proliferation of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Cervical Cancer Cells

Background: Long noncoding RNA ANRIL (antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus) represses p15 and p16, which induce cell-cycle arrest at G(1) phase, leading to enhanced cell proliferation of normal fibroblasts. Herein we report that ANRIL is also involved in the regulation of cancer-cell proliferation. Materials and Methods: HeLa and H1299 cells were transfected with ANRIL siRNAs. At 72 h post-transfection, cells were subjected to quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and cell-cycle analysis. Results: qRT-PCR showed that ANRIL is highly expressed in these cancer cells compared to normal fibroblasts. Depletion of ANRIL increased p15 expression, with no impact on p16 or ARF (alternative reading frame) expression, and caused cell-cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase, leading to inhibition of proliferation of H1299 and HeLa cells. Conclusion: ANRIL positively regulates the proliferation of cancer cells, such as H1299 and HeLa cells, via regulating p15 and other genes related to G(2)/M phase control.