Cancer Cell
Volume 25, Issue 5, 12 May 2014, Pages 666-681
Journal home page for Cancer Cell

Article
A Long Noncoding RNA Activated by TGF-β Promotes the Invasion-Metastasis Cascade in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2014.03.010Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • lncRNA-ATB is activated by TGF-β and associated with poor prognosis in HCC

  • lncRNA-ATB upregulates ZEB1 and ZEB2 through competitively binding miR-200s

  • lncRNA-ATB promotes EMT, HCC cell invasion, and metastatic organ colonization

  • lncRNA-ATB binds IL-11 mRNA, induces IL-11 expression, and triggers STAT3 signaling

Summary

The role of TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cell dissemination is well established, but the involvement of lncRNAs in TGF-β signaling is still unknown. In this study, we observed that the lncRNA-activated by TGF-β (lncRNA-ATB) was upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastases and associated with poor prognosis. lncRNA-ATB upregulated ZEB1 and ZEB2 by competitively binding the miR-200 family and then induced EMT and invasion. In addition, lncRNA-ATB promoted organ colonization of disseminated tumor cells by binding IL-11 mRNA, autocrine induction of IL-11, and triggering STAT3 signaling. Globally, lncRNA-ATB promotes the invasion-metastasis cascade. Thus, these findings suggest that lncRNA-ATB, a mediator of TGF-β signaling, could predispose HCC patients to metastases and may serve as a potential target for antimetastatic therapies.

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