LncRNA THUMPD3-AS1 promotes invasion and EMT in gastric cancer by regulating the miR-1297/BCAT1 pathway

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in the development of gastric cancer （GC）; However, studies of their mechanisms of action are needed to determine their clinical value. The aim of this study is to explore the effects and mechanisms of THUMPD3-AS1 in GC. Elevated levels of THUMPD3-AS1 were observed in GC and demonstrated a significant positive correlation with poor prognosis. Functionally, THUMPD3-AS1 promoted GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and induced tumour growth in vivo. THUMPD3-AS1 exerts its regulatory function on BCAT1 through competitive binding with miR-1297. Further investigations confirmed that both THUMPD3-AS1 and miR-1297 interact with BCAT1. These findings suggest that THUMPD3-AS1 promotes GC invasion and EMT by regulating the miR-1297/BCAT1 pathway, indicating that THUMPD3-AS1 may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for GC.

长链非编码RNA（long noncoding RNAs，lncRNAs）在胃癌（gastric cancer，GC）的发生发展中发挥至关重要的作用；然而，目前仍需进一步阐明其作用机制以明确其临床应用价值。本研究旨在探讨THUMPD3-AS1在胃癌中的生物学功能及分子机制。研究发现，胃癌组织中THUMPD3-AS1的表达水平显著升高，且与患者不良预后呈显著正相关。功能实验证实，THUMPD3-AS1可促进胃癌细胞的增殖、迁移、侵袭及上皮间质转化（epithelial–mesenchymal transition，EMT），并可在体内诱导肿瘤生长。进一步机制研究显示，THUMPD3-AS1通过与微小RNA-1297（miR-1297）竞争性结合，对支链氨基酸转氨酶1（branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1，BCAT1）发挥调控作用；后续验证实验进一步证实，THUMPD3-AS1与miR-1297均可与BCAT1发生相互作用。上述研究结果表明，THUMPD3-AS1可通过调控miR-1297/BCAT1信号通路促进胃癌侵袭与上皮间质转化，提示THUMPD3-AS1有望成为胃癌新型生物标志物及治疗靶点。