Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, Hebei Medical University Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China.
China International Cooperation Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 23;14(1):25005. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-76521-8.
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), such as SNHG6, have been identified as crucial regulators in the progression of various cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Although the role of SNHG6 in ESCC is not completely understood, our findings demonstrated that SNHG6 expression is upregulated in ESCC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, elevated levels of SNHG6 are significantly correlated with higher TNM stage and poorer clinical prognosis in ESCC patients. Functionally, both in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that knocking down SNHG6 inhibits proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Luciferase reporter assays and Ago2-RIP assay confirm that SNHG6 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-26b-5p to modulate ITGB1 expression in ESCC. Given that ITGB1 is instrumental in EMT and metastasis, we assessed the expression of EMT-related proteins. The findings suggest that miR-26b-5p and reduced ITGB1 expression can reverse the EMT induced by lncRNA SHNG6, as demonstrated through rescue analysis. Overall, this study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms through which SNHG6 promotes EMT and metastasis in ESCC, providing a novel theoretical foundation for understanding ESCC progression and identifying new targets for improving outcomes in metastatic ESCC.
长链非编码 RNA（lncRNA），如 SNHG6，已被鉴定为多种癌症（包括食管鳞状细胞癌[ESCC]）进展的关键调节因子。尽管 SNHG6 在 ESCC 中的作用尚未完全阐明，但我们的研究结果表明，与相邻正常组织相比，SNHG6 在 ESCC 组织中表达上调。此外，SNHG6 水平升高与 ESCC 患者的更高 TNM 分期和更差的临床预后显著相关。功能上，体内和体外实验均表明，敲低 SNHG6 可抑制增殖、侵袭和转移。荧光素酶报告基因检测和 Ago2-RIP 检测证实，SNHG6 通过海绵吸附 miR-26b-5p 作为竞争性内源 RNA（ceRNA）发挥作用，从而调节 ESCC 中的 ITGB1 表达。鉴于 ITGB1 在 EMT 和转移中起重要作用，我们评估了 EMT 相关蛋白的表达。研究结果表明，miR-26b-5p 和 ITGB1 表达降低可通过挽救分析逆转由 lncRNA SHNG6 诱导的 EMT。总体而言，本研究旨在阐明 SNHG6 促进 ESCC 中 EMT 和转移的分子机制，为理解 ESCC 进展和确定改善转移性 ESCC 结局的新靶点提供新的理论基础。
