Accumulating evidence has indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in the processes of cancer occurrence, progression, and treatment. FAM83A-AS1 is a novel onco-lncRNA involved in various cancers. Nevertheless, the biological function and underlying mechanism of FAM83A-AS1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain largely unclear. In this study, we found FAM83A-AS1 to be upregulated in LUAD tissues and closely associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage. In addition, high FAM83A-AS1 expression correlated positively with a poor prognosis. Functional investigation revealed that FAM83A-AS1 promotes LUAD cell proliferation, migration, invasion and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, FAM83A-AS1 functions as an endogenous sponge of miR-150-5p by directly targeting it, removing inhibition of MMP14, a target of miR-150-5p. Furthermore, rescue assays demonstrated that FAM83A-AS1 enhances cell migration, invasion and EMT by modulating the miR-150-5p/MMP14 pathway. Collectively, we conclude that the novel FAM83A-AS1/miR-150-5p/MMP14 axis regulates LUAD progression, suggesting an innovative therapeutic strategy for this cancer.
Keywords: FAM83A-AS1; MMP14; lung adenocarcinoma; miR-150-5p.