Long non-coding RNA ENST00000547547 inhibits cell proliferation, invasion and migration in colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and lethal types of cancer worldwide. Multiple lines of evidence have illustrated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical molecules in the regulation of CRC development and progression. The identification of new lncRNAs is expected to provide new biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for CRC diagnosis and prevention. Previous research has revealed that, ENST00000547547, a 434-bp lncRNA on human chromosome12q15 (RP11-611E13.3-001), was found to be downregulated in CRC tissues from lncRNA microarray studies. However, its role in the development and progression of CRC remains largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that the ENST00000547547 level is significantly downregulated in CRC tissues compared to normal tissues. Furthermore, the overexpression of ENST00000547547 inhibited the cell proliferation, invasion and migration of CRC cells in vitro and decreased tumorigenesis ability in vivo. Furthermore, we provided the first evidence that ENST00000547547 inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells by affecting the cell cycle and apoptosis. Finally, we demonstrated that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process was associated with the inhibitory effects of ENST00000547547 on the invasion and migration of CRC cells. In summary, the present study indicated that lncRNA ENST00000547547 acted as a tumor suppressor in CRC, which may provide us with a new biomarker for CRC prognosis and a potential therapeutic target for molecular cancer therapy.