Non-coding RNAs participate in the regulatory network of CLDN4 via ceRNA-mediated miRNA evasion (miRNA)

Thousands of genes have been well demonstrated to play important roles in cancer progression. As genes do not function in isolation, they can be grouped into “networks” based on their interactions. In this study, we discover a network regulating Claudin-4 (CLDN4) in gastric cancer. We observe that CLDN4 is up-regulated in gastric cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. CLDN4 reinforce proliferation, invasion, and EMT in AGS, HGC-27, and SGC-7901 cells, which could be reversed by miR-596 and miR-3620-3p. Additionally, lncRNA-KRTAP5-AS1 and lncRNA-TUBB2A could act as competing endogenous RNAs to affect the function of CLDN4. Our results suggest that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important roles in the regulatory network of CLDN4. As such, ncRNAs should be considered as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets against gastric cancer The miRNA expression in paired gastric cancer and adjacent non-tumourous tissues were measured. Six independent pairs of gastric cancer tissues and adjacent non-tumorous tissues from different patients were collected for microarray examination.