AUTHOR=Ma Dawei , Zhu Yan , Zhang Xiao , Zhang Jia , Chen Wei , Chen Xinyuan , Qian Yichun , Zhao Yanbin , Hu Tingting , Yao Zhangyu , Zhao Wei , Zhang Yuan , Liu Fangzhou 

TITLE=Long Non-coding RNA RUNDC3A-AS1 Promotes Lung Metastasis of Thyroid Cancer via Targeting the miR-182-5p/ADAM9

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.650004

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2021.650004

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=<p>Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as influential indicators in variety of malignancies. Among which, LncRNA RUNDC3A-AS1 is reported to upregulate in thyroid cancer. However, the expression pattern and the pathological function of lncRNA RUNDC3A-AS1 in thyroid cancer is unclear. In this study, we examined the expression levels of lncRNA RUNDC3A-AS1 in the thyroid cancer tissues and cell lines via RT-qPCR analysis. The effects of RUNDC3A-AS1 on thyroid cancer cell metastasis were detected by transwell chamber assay, scratch assay <italic>in vitro</italic> and lung metastasis model <italic>in vivo</italic>. The results indicated that RUNDC3A-AS1 was highly expressed in the thyroid cancer tissues and cell lines. Functionally, knockdown of RUNDC3A-AS1 could repress the migration and invasion of thyroid cancer cells <italic>in vitro</italic>, and inhibit thyroid cancer metastasis to lung <italic>in vivo</italic>. Mechanistically, RUNDC3A-AS1 served as an inhibitor of miR-182-5p in tumor tissues and cell lines. RUNDC3A-AS1 inhibited the expression of miR-182-5p to increase the expression level of ADAM9, thus further aggravating the malignancy of thyroid cancer. Therefore, the RUNDC3A-AS1/miR-182-5p/ADAM9 axis may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of thyroid cancer metastasis.</p>