Long noncoding RNA BDNF-AS is associated with clinical outcomes and has functional role in human prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The underlying molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer (CaP) are largely unknown. We investigated the expression, prognostic value and functional role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) brain-derived neurotrophin factor antisense (BDNF-AS) in CaP. METHODS: Clinical tumor samples were excised from patients with CaP. Their endogenous BDNF-AS expression levels were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Correlations between CaP patients' endogenous BDNF-AS expression and their clinicopathological factors, overall survival were statistically analyzed. BDNF-AS expression levels were also probed in immortal CaP cell lines. In LNCaP and PC-3 cells, BDNF-AS was ectopically overexpressed through lentiviral transduction. The functions of BDNF-AS upregulation on CaP cell development were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: BDNF-AS was downregulated in human CaP tumors. Low BDNF-AS expression was correlated with CaP patients' poor prognosis and shorter overall survival. BDNF-AS was also found to be lowly expressed in CaP cell lines. In LNCaP and PC-3 cells, lentivirus-driven BDNF-AS overexpression exerted significantly tumor-suppressing effects on hindering cancer cell proliferation and invasion in vitro, and explant growth in vivo. CONCLUSION: Downregulated BDNF-AS in CaP patients could be a potential prognostic biomarker for predicating poor prognosis and survival. Upregulating BDNF-AS may be a novel molecular intervening target for CaP treatment.