Decreased expression of the long non-coding RNA promotes gastric cancer progression by targeting HOXD8 and activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be associated with many tumors. However, the specific mechanism of lncRNAs in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer (GC) has not been fully elucidated.

Aim: To explore the expression level and molecular mechanism of in GC tissues and cells, and analyze its significance in the prognosis of GC.

Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of in 79 pairs of GC tissues and five cell lines. The pc plasmid vector was constructed and transfected into SGC-7901 and SNU-1 GC cells. Matrigel Transwell and wound healing assays were used to confirm the effect of on invasion and migration of GC cells. Cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to verify the effect of on the proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of GC cells. The relevant regulatory mechanism between and and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was verified by Western blot analysis.

Results: The low expression of lncRNA was associated with lymph node metastasis and tumor-node-metastasis stage in GC. functional experiments demonstrated that overexpression of inhibited GC cell progression. Mechanistic studies revealed that regulated the expression of its nearby gene and inhibited the activity of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Conclusion: These results indicate that downregulation of significantly promotes the progression of GC cells by regulating expression and activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. may be a novel diagnostic biomarker and effective therapeutic target for GC.