Down-regulation of lncRNA CASC2 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis of bladder cancer by activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

// Zhijun Pei 1, * , Xian Du 2, * , Yafeng Song 1 , Lin Fan 3 , Fuyan Li 1 , Yan Gao 1 , Ruimin Wu 1 , Yijia Chen 1 , Wei Li 1 , Hong Zhou 1 , Yi Yang 1 , Jing Zeng 4 1 Department of PET Center & Institute of Anesthesiology and Pain, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, 442000, China 2 Department of General Surgery II, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, 442000, China 3 Department of Ophthalmology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, 442000, China 4 Department of Infection Control, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei Province, 442000, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jing Zeng, email: zengjingphd@163.com Keywords: bladder cancer, CASC2, Wnt/β-catenin, proliferation, metastasis Received: December 27, 2016 Accepted: January 17, 2017 Published: February 09, 2017 ABSTRACT Long noncoding RNAs cancer susceptibility candidate 2 (CASC2) have been demonstrated as playing crucial regulatory roles in a few of cancers. However, the biological function of lncRNA CASC2 in bladder cancer are still unclear. In this study, we found that lncRNA CASC2 was significantly down-regulated in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines by quantitative real time-PCR and associated with advanced TNM stage (III/IV). Moreover, overexpression of lncRNA CASC2 remarkably reduced the cell growth, migration and invasion, as well as promoted early apoptosis of bladder cancer cell in vitro . Furthermore, we illustrated that lncRNA CASC2 inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway activity by decrasing the β-catenin expression and reversing the downstream target gene expression of Wnt signaling pathway. Taken together, lncRNA CASC2 plays an pivotal role in bladder tumorigenesis and progression and may act as a potential biomarker for the treatment of bladder cancer.