SIAH2-AS1 stimulates breast cancer cell proliferation and migration via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Breast cancer (BC) has become a severe threat to women, which has imposed excessive pressure on society. LncRNAs play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of BC. This study aimed to evaluate the lncRNA SIAH2 antisense RNA 1 (SIAH2-AS1) role in the development and progression of BC and explore the mechanism of SIAH2-AS1 related Wnt signaling pathway in BC. Malignant and paracancer normal breast tissue samples were obtained from patients who underwent surgery at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University. Subsequently, quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed with these acquired tissue samples to evaluate the concentrations of SIAH2-AS1. Furthermore, CCK-8 assays, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell were performed to investigate the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion respectively. Western blotting was eventually performed for the investigation of proteins and EMT-related markers in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The expression of SIAH2-AS1 was up-regulated in cancer tissues and cells. Cell proliferation, colony formation, invasiveness, and migration are significantly reduced by silencing SIAH2-AS1. Moreover, E-cadherin expression in BC cells was increased, whereas N-cadherin and vimentin expression was decreased, when SIAH2-AS1 was eliminated from the cells. Additionally, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways cyclin D1 and C-myc proteins were also significantly downregulated in BC cells when SIAH2-AS1 was knocked out. Our study confirms that SIAH2-AS1 activates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and has an oncogenic activity that promotes the prognosis of BC, suggesting that SIAH2-AS1 may be a potential drug target for BC. The development of small - molecule inhibitors capable of specifically targeting SIAH2 - AS1 to target and modify the SIAH2 - AS1 gene in cancer cells may offer a novel strategy for clinical treatment. Keywords: breast cancer; cell proliferation; cell migration; Long noncoding RNA; Wnt signaling pathway.