LncRNA NKILA inhibits the proliferation and promotes the apoptosis of CSCC cells by downregulating miRNA‐21
AbstractLong noncoding RNA (lncRNA) NKILA has been well studied in several types of human tumors as a tumor suppressor, while its involvement in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) remains unclear. In our studies, we found that serum NKILA was at lower levels and serum microRNA‐21 (miRNA‐21) was at higher levels in patients with early stage CSCC than in the healthy female. Altered expression of NKILA and miRNA‐21 can effectively separate patients with CSCC at an early stage from healthy controls. Serum levels of NKILA were significantly and negatively correlated with miRNA‐21 in patients with CSCC but not in normal controls. Overexpression of NKILA mediated the inhibited expression of miRNA‐21 in CSCC cells, but mimic transfection of miRNA‐21 did not significantly change the expression level of NKILA. Overexpression of NKILA repressed the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of CSCC cells, while miRNA‐21 showed opposite functions. In addition, miRNA‐21 mimic transfection reduced the effects of NKILA on CSCC cells. Collectively, lncRNA NKILA could repress the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of CSCC cells by downregulating miRNA‐21.
