BackgroundLong noncoding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) plays key role in the progression of some human cancers. However, the role of NEAT1 in human laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC) is still unknown. We therefore investigated the expression and function of NEAT1 in LSCC.MethodsNEAT1 level in LSCC and adjacent non-neoplastic tissues were detected by qRT-PCR. NEAT1 was knockdown in LSCC cells and cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle were examined. The growth of xenografts with NEAT1 knockdown LSCC cells was analyzed.ResultsNEAT1 level was significantly higher in LSCC than in corresponding adjacent non-neoplastic tissues, and patients with neck nodal metastasis or advanced clinical stage had higher NEAT1 expression. Moreover, siRNA mediated NEAT1 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase in LSCC cells. The growth of LSCC xenografts was significantly suppressed by the injection of NEAT1 siRNA lentivirus. Furthermore, NEAT1 regulated CDK6 expression in LSCC cells which was mediated by miR-107.ConclusionNEAT1 plays an oncogenic role in the tumorigenesis of LSCC and may serve as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a highly aggressive malignant cancer. The regulation of LSCC progression by long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) was not well understood. In this study, we reported that the lncRNA H19 was upregulated in LSCC. The expression levels of H19 were inversely correlated with the survival rate of LSCC patients. Knockdown of H19 expression inhibited LSCC cell migration, invasion and proliferation. We identified microRNA miR-148a-3p as an inhibitory target for H19. Overexpression of miR-148a-3p reduced LSCC migration, invasion and proliferation cell, while inhibition of miR-148a-3p did the opposite. The inhibition of LSCC progression induced by H19 knockdown required the activity of miR-148a-3p. We also identified DNA methyltransferase enzyme DNMT1 as a target of miR-148a-3p. Cellular DNA methylation levels were inhibited by both miR-148a-3p overexpression and H19 knockdown. In summary, our study demonstrated that the lncRNA H19 promoted LSCC progression via miR-148a-3p and DNMT1.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the HOX gene expression profile in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and assess whether some genes are associated with the clinicopathological features and prognosis in LSCC patients. The HOX gene levels were tested by microarray and validated by qRT-PCR in paired cancerous and adjacent noncancerous LSCC tissue samples. The microarray testing data of 39 HOX genes revealed 15 HOX genes that were at least 2-fold upregulated and 2 that were downregulated. After qRT-PCR evaluation, the three most upregulated genes (HOXB9, HOXB13, and HOXD13) were selected for tissue microarray (TMA) analysis. The correlations between the HOXB9, HOXB13, and HOXD13 expression levels and both clinicopathological features and prognosis were analyzed. Three HOX gene expression levels were markedly increased in LSCC tissues compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues (P < 0.001). HOXB9 was found to correlate with histological grade (P < 0.01) and prognosis (P < 0.01) in LSCC. In conclusion, this study revealed that HOXB9, HOXB13, and HOXD13 were upregulated and may play important roles in LSCC. Moreover, HOXB9 may serve as a novel marker of poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target in LSCC patients.

Translation machinery associated 7 homolog (TMA7) is closely related to proliferation-related diseases. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of TMA7 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of TMA7 on the occurrence and development of LSCC and to study the mechanism of TMA7. TMA7 is upregulated in LSCC tissues and associated with poor prognosis. After TMA7 downregulation, the autophagy level was increased, and the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LSCC cells were inhibited. The m6A methylated reader IGF2BP3 enhanced the stability of TMA7 and reduced the level of autophagy. TMA7 interacted directly with UBA2. Furthermore, the activation of the IGF2BP3-regulated TMA7-UBA2-PI3K pathway is the primary mechanism by which TMA7 inhibits autophagy and promotes the progression of LSCC. The current study revealed that IGF2BP3-mediated TMA7 m6A modification promotes LSCC progression and cisplatin-resistance through UBA2-PI3K pathway, providing new insights into the autophagy-related mechanism, potential biomarkers, and therapeutic targets for LSCC.