attenuates hepatocellular carcinoma progression through the / axis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most death-related cancers worldwide. Identifying cancer-associated genes and uncovering the vital molecular mechanisms of HCC progression contribute greatly to the prognosis and novel therapeutic strategies for HCC patients. Although lncRNAs have been proved to be critical modulators of various cellular processes, the functions of lncRNAs in HCC progression are just emerging. Here, we found that a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) named , whose biological effects have yet been unveiled in cancers, was associated with a better prognosis in patients with HCC. Gain-of-function analyses showed that inhibited the survival, migration, invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCC cells. Moreover, was enriched as a target of , which functioned as a sponge to regulate the endogenous levels of . Furthermore, we confirmed that served as a downstream target gene which was negatively controlled by . Importantly, a series of rescue experiments indicated that the tumor-suppressive effects of were achieved through the modulation of the / axis. In summary, we identified as a candidate tumor-inhibitory lncRNA that might serve as a biomarker for the prognosis of HCC and a promising therapeutic agent for patients with HCC.