LINC02428, a liver-specific long noncoding RNA suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression

Abstract

There is growing evidence that lncRNAs play an important role in the progression of HCC, especially liver-specific expression of lncRNAs. LINC02428 is a liver-specific labeled lncRNA, but its role in HCC is unclear. We investigated the expression characteristics of LINC02428 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and analyzed its function in HCC. Using TCGA public data we found that the expression level of LINC02428 was significantly reduced in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, compared to normal tissues. LINC02428 was also significantly reduced in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues in our cDNA microarray data from HCC patients. Survival analysis suggests that HCC patients with lower LINC02428 have a lower overall survival rate. In an in vitro analysis, overexpression of LINC02428 inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration, and induced apoptosis. In conclusion, we report for the first time the expression profile of a liver-specific lncRNA, LINC02428, in HCC and confirmed its ability to inhibit the progression of HCC. LINC02428 may become a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.