Long non-coding RNA ST8 α-N-acetyl-neuraminide α-2,8-sialyltransferase 6 antisense 1 (ST8SIA6-AS1) has been identified as a novel oncogene in
breast cancer. However, its involvement in
liver cancer has remained elusive. In the present study, the expression of ST8SIA6-AS1 and
microRNA (miR)-142-3p in
liver cancer tissues and cell lines was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR.
Tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays were performed to determine the
biological functions of ST8SIA6-AS1. The targeting interaction between ST8SIA6-AS1 and miR-142-3p predicted by bioinformatics was verified by a
luciferase reporter assay and a
biotin pulldown assay. The results indicated that ST8SIA6-AS1 was highly expressed in
liver cancer tissues and cell lines, and the high expression of ST8SIA6-AS1 in
liver cancer tissues was associated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of ST8SIA6-AS1 inhibited the proliferation,
metastasis and invasion of
liver cancer cells. Mechanistic investigation revealed that ST8SIA6-AS1 sequesters miR-142-3p and negatively regulates miR-142-3p expression in
liver cancer cells. Further investigation indicated that the
tumor-inhibitory effect of ST8SIA6-AS1 silencing was reversed by miR-142-3p depletion. In conclusion, ST8SIA6-AS1 was indicated to exert an oncogenic function in
liver cancer by competitively sponging miR-142-3p.