COX10-AS1-mediated miR-361-5p regulated cell invasion and migration by targeting SPRY1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: COX10-AS1 belongs to the class of lncRNA and has been shown to influence carcinogenesis; however, its function and underlying mechanism in oral squamous cell carcinoma are still unclear (OSCC).

Method: Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and RT-PCR were used to identify gene expression. Cell invasion and migration were discovered using Transwell and Scratch-Wound analyses. The interaction between lncRNA and miRNA was examined using dual-luciferase and immunofluorescence assays.

Results: We discovered that COX10-AS1 was significantly downregulated in OSCC tissues when compared to matched noncancerous tissues, indicating a dismal prognosis for OSCC patients. By raising the expression of MMP-2/-9 and Snail and lowering the expression of E-cadherin, COX10-AS1 deletion increased OSCC cell invasion and migration. Next, three binding sites between COX10-AS1 and miR-361-5p were shown in the StarBase V2.0 database. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a negative association between the expression of COX10-AS1 and that of miR-361-5p, and miR-361-5p transfection reduced COX10-AS1's influence on OSCC cell invasion and migration. Furthermore, COX10-AS1 favorably regulated SPRY1, a miR-361-5p target gene.

Conclusion: Through the miR-361-5p/SPRY1 axis, COX10-AS1 can act as a tumor suppressor and is decreased in OSCC.