The aim of this study is to investigate whether metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT-1) can be used as a potential therapy target for human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. MALAT-1 expression levels were detected in 137 paired EC samples and adjacent nonneoplastic tissues. Human esophageal carcinoma cell lines EC9706 and KYSE150 were transfected with MALAT-1 small interference RNA. Cell proliferation, migration/invasion ability, cell cycle, and apoptosis were assessed. MALAT-1 expressed higher levels in esophageal cancer tissues when compared with paired adjacent normal tissues. This high expression was associated with a decreased survival rate. MALAT-1 knockdown induced a decrease in proliferation-enhanced apoptosis, inhibited migration/invasion, and reduced colony formation and led to cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. These data indicates that MALAT-1 could be exploited for therapeutic benefit.
Keywords: Esophageal carcinoma; Long noncoding RNA; Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1; Small RNA interference.