LINC01272/miR-876/ITGB2 axis facilitates the metastasis of colorectal cancer via epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Background: At the time of diagnosis, colorectal cancer (CRC) patients are usually in an advanced stage of disease, which is accompanied by metastasis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical regulatory roles in cancer biology. However, the contributions of lncRNA LINC01272 to CRC remain elusive. Methods: Bioinformatics and the survminer R package were used to predict intermolecular correlations and prognostic indicators. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to examine molecular expression. In vitro experiments, including migration assays, invasion assays, and wound healing assays, were used to investigate the effects of LINC01272, ITGB2 and miR-876 on CRC cell migration and invasion abilities. Furthermore, a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to explore the potential mechanism by which LINC01272 contributes to CRC. Results: We found that LINC01272 was highly expressed in multiple cancers and closely related to core epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors and that high levels of LINC01272 are associated with a poor prognosis in CRC patients. qRT-PCR revealed that LINC01272 was highly expressed and negatively associated with miR-876 in CRC. Additionally, LINC01272 or ITGB2 silencing reduced, while miR-876 overexpression promoted, the invasiveness and metastatic capacity of CRC cells in vitro. Moreover, LINC01272 potentially targeted miR-876, and miR-876 potentially targeted ITGB2. Conclusion: LINC01272 was highly expressed in CRC and predicted a poor prognosis. LINC01272 promoted EMT and metastasis by regulating miR-876/ITGB2 to act as an oncogene in CRC. LINC01272 may be a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC patients in the future.