Long non-coding RNA TTN-AS1 promotes cell growth and metastasis in cervical cancer via miR-573/E2F3

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a crucial member of non-coding RNA family, and increasing evidence demonstrates that lncRNAs participate in the initiation and progression of cancers. Our study aimed to explore the role of lncRNA TTN-AS1 in cervical cancer (CC) development. In the present study, our results showed that TTN-AS1 was substantially increased in CC tissues and cell lines, high expression of TTN-AS1 was correlated with advanced FIGO stage, poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and poor overall survival of CC patients. Function assays showed that TTN-AS1 inhibition decreased the proliferation and invasion of CC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that TTN-AS1 could positively modulate E2F3 expression via sponging miR-573 in CC cells. Together, our study revealed that lncRNA TTN-AS1 was involved in the progression of CC cells by regulation of miR-573-E2F3 axis, which offered a new insight into the treatment strategies of CC.

Keywords: Cervical cancer; E2F3; lncRNA TTN-AS1; miR-573.