Long non-coding RNA SNHG1 promotes Cyclin D1-mediated proliferation in pancreatic cancer by acting as a ceRNA of miR-195

Pancreatic cancer (PCa) is one of the most fatal cancers worldwide. Recently, many studies have confirmed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in the development of many human cancers, including PCa. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the biological role and underlying mechanisms of lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) in PCa progression. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of SNHG1 were increased in PCa cell lines and human tissue samples. High SNHG1 expression was notably correlated with adverse characteristics and poor survival of PCa patients. Knockdown of SNHG1 suppressed PCa cell proliferation in vitro and PCa tumor growth in vivo, and these effects might be associated with the induction of cell cycle arrest. We further confirmed that, in PCa cells, SNHG1 can negatively regulate miR-195 expression by acting as a ceRNA, and Cyclin D1 is a direct target of miR-195. Overexpression of miR-195 abrogated the oncogenic role of SNHG1 in PCa cells. Collectively, our results identified SNHG1 as a novel oncogenic lncRNA in PCa, and indicated that SNHG1/miR-195/Cyclin D1 axis might be a potential therapeutic target for PCa patients.