TNRC6C-AS1 Promotes Thyroid Cancer Progression by Upregulating LPAR5 via miR-513c-5p.

Background: Considering the combined role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs)-microRNA (miRNA)-mRNA in tumorigenesis, the purpose of this study was to investigate how TNRC6C-AS1 regulates the expression of lysophosphatidic acid receptor 5 (LPAR5) by modulating miR-513c-5p, thus influencing the progression of thyroid cancer (THCA).

Methods: qRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression levels of TNRC6C-AS1, miR-513c-5p, and LPAR5 in THCA tissues and cell lines. The viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion were assessed using CCK-8, BrdU, wound healing, and transwell migration assays, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay, and RNA pull-down assay were used to evaluate the relationship between TNRC6C-AS1, miR-513c-5p, and LPAR5.

Results: TNRC6C-AS1 was highly expressed in THCA tissues, and knockout of TNRC6C-AS1 reduced the viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of THCA cells. TNRC6C-AS1 competitively adsorbed miR-513c-5p. In addition, the biological function of TNRC6C-AS1 was blocked by knocking down the thyroid cell line TNRC6C-AS1 with miR-513c-5p inhibitor transfection. LPAR5 is the target gene for miR-513c-5p, which has the ability to eliminate the influence of miR-513c-5p on THCA cells.

Conclusion: The TNRC6C-AS1/miR-513c-5p/LPAR5 axis is a novel signaling pathway that modulates THCA progression and may be a potential target for cancer therapy.