Long non-coding RNA FOXD2 Adjacent Opposite Strand
RNA 1 (FOXD2-AS1) has been widely reported to be implicated in the progression and recurrence of several
cancers. The clinical significance and functional role of FOXD2-AS1 in
thyroid carcinoma remain unknown. FOXD2-AS1 expression was evaluated by analyzing
thyroid cancer RNA sequencing dataset from The
Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to assess the biological roles of FOXD2-AS1 in
thyroid cancer cells. Western blot,
luciferase, immunoprecipitation (IP), and
RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to identify the underlying
miRNA and
mRNA target mediating the biological roles of FOXD2-AS1 in
thyroid cancer cells. FOXD2-AS1 was upregulated in
thyroid carcinoma tissues and cells. High expression of FOXD2-AS1 significantly correlated with clinical stage, recurrence of
thyroid carcinoma. Silencing FOXD2-AS1 inhibited cancer stem cell-like phenotypes and attenuates the anoikis resistance in vitro. Downregulating FOXD2-AS1 represses the
tumorigenesis of
thyroid carcinoma cells in vivo. FOXD2-AS1 acts as a
competitive endogenous RNA (
ceRNA) for miR-7-5p, up-regulating the expression of
telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), which further promotes the cancer stem cells features and anoikis resistance in
thyroid cancer cells. Our findings indicate that FOXD2-AS1 functions as an oncogenic regulator in the development of
thyroid cancer, contributing to early recurrence of
thyroid cancer.