Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be aberrantly expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but the biological role and function of BRAF-activated long non-coding RNA (BANCR) in OSCC remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that the expression of BANCR was upregulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines compared to the negative control. The decreased expression of BANCR in vitro markedly inhibited OSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while the opposite was observed for the overexpression of BANCR. The results also showed that the expression of MAPK signaling-related proteins (p-erk, p-akt, and p-p-38) was positively correlated with that of BANCR. Thus, BANCR may play an important role in the tumorigenesis of OSCC, as well as cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC, and it may be a potential therapeutic target and prognostic factor in OSCC patients.
Keywords: BANCR; MAPK; long non-coding RNA; oral squamous cell carcinoma; proliferation and migration.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.