Silencing of long noncoding RNA LEF1-AS1 prevents the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via the crosstalk with microRNA-136-5p/WNK1

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recognized as cancer-associated biological molecules, favoring hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. This study was conducted to elucidate the effects lncRNA lymphoid enhancer-binding Factor 1 antisense RNA (LEF1-AS1) on the pathological development of HCC, along with the crosstalk involving microRNA-136-5p (miR-136-5p) and with-no-K (lysine) kinase 1 (WNK1). The study recruited primary HCC tissues and their corresponding nonneoplastic liver tissues. The gain- and loss-of-function studies were performed in HCC cells HuH-7 and tumor xenografts in nude mice. The dual luciferase reporter gene assay system, RNA pull-down, and radioimmunoprecipitation assays were applied to detect their interactions among lncRNA LEF1-AS1, miR-136-5p, and WNK1. 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine staining, scratch test, Transwell assays, and in vitro tube formation assays were conducted to examine HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and HUVEC angiogenesis. HCC tissues and cells contained high lncRNA LEF1-AS1 expression. LncRNA LEF1-AS1 upregulation triggered markedly increased HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and human umbilical vein endothelial cell angiogenesis. In vivo silencing lncRNA LEF1-AS1 resulted in reduced tumor cell vitality and matrix metalloproteinase-9 and the vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Additionally, the role of lncRNA LEF1-AS1 was found to be largely dependent on WNK1. Association of lncRNA LEF1-AS1 with WNK1 blocked the inhibitory effect of miR-136-5p on WNK1, which was confirmed by in vivo experiments. Altogether, our results revealed an important role of lncRNA LEF1-AS1 in regulating the HCC progression by regulating WNK1, providing a potential biomarker for the therapeutic modalities regarding HCC.     

Long noncoding RNA DLX6-AS1 promotes renal cell carcinoma progression via miR-26a/PTEN axis

Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as new gene regulators and prognostic markers in several types of cancer, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this study, we identified an upregulated lncRNA, DLX6-AS1, in RCC tumor tissues compared with normal kidney tissues. Our data suggested that DLX6-AS1 promoted RCC cell growth and tumorigenesis via targeting miR-26a. In addition, we observed that PTEN overexpression restored the renal cancer cell growth and also rescued the RCC tumorigenesis. In summary, we conclude that DLX6-AS1 promotes renal cell carcinoma development via regulation of miR-26a/PTEN axis.     

Long noncoding RNA DLX6-AS1 promotes liver cancer by increasing the expression of WEE1 via targeting miR-424-5p

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) played an important role in tumorigenesis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we first demonstrated that lncRNA DLX6 antisense RNA 1 (DLX6-AS1) was upregulated in cancer tissues and cells lines compared with normal adjacent and cell line. Knock-down DLX6-AS1 by transfection with small interfering RNA (siRNA) suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Cell cycle analysis showed that cells transfected with siRNA were arrested in G0/G1 phase. Then, we performed dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay to show that DLX6-AS1 could bind with miR-424-5p. And cotransfection inhibitor of miR-424-5p with siRNA of DLX6-AS1 could abolish the inhibitory effect of siRNA of DLX6-AS1 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, we further demonstrated that the oncogene WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1) was the target of miR-424-5p and expression levels of WEE1 were positive correlation with that of DLX6-AS1. Taken together, these results suggested that upregulated DLX6-AS1 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC through increasing expression of WEE1 via targeting miR-424-5p.     

Long non-coding RNA ZFAS1 regulates the malignant progression of gastric cancer via the microRNA-200b-3p/Wnt1 axis

Gastric cancer is a common malignant tumor. Studies from our laboratory or others have shown that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) zinc finger antisense (ZFAS)1 often acts as an oncogene. However, the molecular underpinnings of how ZFAS1 regulates gastric cancer remain to be elucidated. Results showed that ZFAS1 expression was upregulated, and microRNA-200b-3p (miR-200b) expression was downregulated in gastric cancer tissues. MiR-200b overexpression suppressed the proliferation, cell cycle process, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling of gastric cancer cells. Subsequently, we identified miR-200b is a target of ZFAS1 and Wnt1 is a target of miR-200b. Furthermore, promotion of cancer malignant progression and activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling induced by ZFAS1 was counteracted by increasing miR-200b expression. In vivo, ZFAS1 knockdown suppressed the tumorigenesis with the upregulated miR-200b and the inactive Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Summarily, we demonstrated a critical role of miR-200b in gastric cancer, and ZFAS1 can promote malignant progression through regulating miR-200b mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling.     

Long noncoding RNA TPT1-AS1 downregulates the microRNA-770-5p expression to inhibit glioma cell autophagy and promote proliferation through STMN1 upregulation

Through the microarray analysis, long noncoding RNA TPT1-AS1 (TPT1-AS1) was identified in the development of glioma. However, the specific effect of TPT1-AS1 on glioma autophagy in the recent years has not fully been investigated. Therefore, the purpose of our present study is to investigate the function of TPT1-AS1 on affecting autophagy of glioma cells through regulation of microRNA-770-5p (miR-770-5p)-mediated stathmin 1 (STMN1). Initially, the expression of TPT1-AS1, miR-770-5p, and STMN1 were determined in glioma cell lines, followed by the prediction and validation of their interaction. After that, the effects of TPT1-AS1, miR-770-5p, and STMN1 on the in vitro glioma cell proliferation and autophagy were assessed using EdU assay and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC) and on the in vivo tumor development and autophagy were evaluated using a nude mouse xenograft tumor assay and immunofluorescence assay. In comparison with the normal cells, the glioma cells displayed upregulated expression of TPT1-AS1 and STMN1, but a downregulated miR-770-5p expression. miR-770-5p, which directly targeted STMN1, could be downregulated by TPT1-AS1. Subsequently, in glioma cells, TPT1-AS1 can function to competitively bind to miR-770-5p, thus regulatEing STMN1 expression. Moreover, glioma cell proliferation and autophagy could be mediated through the TPT1-AS1/miR-770-5p/STMN1 axis. From our data we conclude an inhibitory function of TPT1-AS1 in glioma cell autophagy by downregulating miR-770-5p and upregulating STMN1, which may be instrumental for the therapeutic targeting and clinical management of glioma.     

LncRNA DLX6-AS1 promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis in osteosarcoma through modulating miR-641/HOXA9 signaling pathway

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor. Recently, increasing evidence has shown that the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) DLX6-AS1 (distal-less homeobox 6 antisense 1) plays significant roles in various types of cancers. However, the functions and underlying mechanisms of DLX6-AS1 have not been explored in OS yet. In this study, we assessed the expression of DLX6-AS1 in OS tissues and cell lines and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. DLX6-AS1 was found to be significantly upregulated in OS tissues and OS cell lines. High expression of DLX6-AS1 was significantly correlated with advanced TNM stage, high tumor grade, and distant metastasis of patients with OS. Knockdown of DLX6-AS1 suppressed OS cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and induced cell apoptosis. Knockdown of DLX6-AS1 also suppressed in vivo tumor growth. Bioinformatics and luciferase assay analysis showed that DLX6-AS1 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to negatively regulate miR-641 expression. Furthermore, miR-641 was found to target the 3′ untranslated region of homeobox protein Hox-A9 (HOXA9) and suppressed the expression of HOXA9. Mechanistic studies showed that DLX6-AS1 regulated OS cell proliferation, invasion, and migration via regulating HOXA9 by acting as a ceRNA for miR-641. Our results suggested that DLX6-AS1 functions as a ceRNA by targeting miR-641/HOXA9 signal pathway to suppress OS cell proliferation and metastasis. Our study may provide novel insights into understanding pathogenesis and development of OS.     

Silencing of long noncoding RNA RP11-476D10.1 enhances apoptosis and autophagy while inhibiting proliferation of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells via microRNA-138-5p-dependent inhibition of LRRK2

The distant metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a major threat for PTC patients. Moreover, the involvement of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the regulation of PTC progression has been extensively investigated. The aim of this study was to underscore whether lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 affects the proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy of PTC cells. Initially, we determined that lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 and LRRK2 were highly expressed in PTC cells. Meanwhile, through experimentation, miR-138-5p was confirmed to bind with lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 and LRRK2. It was also revealed that lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 downregulated the miR-138-5p expression, thereby upregulating the LRRK2 expression. After that, PTC cells were transfected with siRNA against RP11-476D10.1, or inhibitor or mimic of miR-138-5p to evaluate the influence of lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 on the PTC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy in vitro and on the tumor formation ability in vivo. The results showed that silenced lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 or overexpressed miR-138-5p enhanced the apoptosis and autophagy of PTC cells while reducing cell proliferation, with increased levels of Bax, LC3B, and Beclin1 and decreased Bcl-2 level were observed. The inhibitory role of silenced lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 role in the PTC development was further verified by the reduced tumor formation ability in nude mice. Our results demonstrated that lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 could bind to miR-138-5p and promote LRRK2 expression. Moreover, the silencing of lncRNA RP11-476D10.1 may inhibit the development of PTC, highlighting a novel insight for the development of superior therapeutic targets for PTC treatment.     

LINC00152 promotes cell cycle progression in hepatocellular carcinoma via miR-193a/b-3p/CCND1 axis

Long intergenic non-coding RNA 00152 (LINC00152) is aberrantly expressed in various human malignancies and plays an important role in the pathogenesis. Here, we found that LINC00152 is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues as compared to adjacent non-neoplastic tissues; gain-and-loss-of-function analyses in vitro showed that LINC00152 facilitates HCC cell cycle progression through regulating the expression of CCND1. LINC00152 knockdown inhibits tumorigenesis in vivo. MS2-RIP analysis indicated that LINC00152 binds directly to miR-193a/b-3p, as confirmed by luciferase reporter assays. Furthermore, ectopic expression of LINC00152 partially halted the decrease in CCND1 expression and cell proliferation capacity induced by miR-193a/b-3p overexpression. Thus, LINC00152 acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-193a/b-3p to modulate its target gene, CCND1. Our findings establish a ceRNA mechanism regulating cell proliferation in HCC via the LINC00152/miR-193a/b-3p/CCND1 signalling axis, and identify LINC00152 as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.     

长链非编码RNA AFAP1-AS1促进肿瘤侵袭转移

<正>人类基因组计划及其后续的DNA元件百科全书计划(The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements Project,ENCODE)研究成果表明,蛋白质编码基因序列仅占人类基因组序列的1%~3%,人基因组中绝大部分可转录的序列为长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA,lnc RNAs)[1].Lnc RNA广泛地存在于各种生物中,且随着生物复杂程度的升高,基因组中lnc RNA序列的比例也相应地增大,提示lnc RNA在生物进化过程中可能有着重要意义[2-4].随着     

Overexpression of lncRNA SLC26A4-AS1 inhibits papillary thyroid carcinoma progression through recruiting ETS1 to promote ITPR1-mediated autophagy

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), accounting for approximately 85% cases of thyroid cancer, is a common endocrine tumour with a relatively low mortality but an alarmingly high rate of recurrence or persistence. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is emerging as a critical player modulating diverse cellular mechanisms correlated with the progression of various cancers, including PTC. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA SLC26A4-AS1 in regulating autophagy and tumour growth during PTC progression. Initially, ITPR1 was identified by bioinformatics analysis as a differentially expressed gene. Then, Western blot and RT-qPCR were conducted to determine the expression of ITPR1 and SLC26A4-AS1 in PTC tissues and cells, both of which were found to be poorly expressed in PTC tissues and cells. Then, we constructed ITPR1-overexpressing cells and revealed that ITPR1 overexpression could trigger the autophagy of PTC cells. Further, we performed a series of gain- and loss-of function experiments. The results suggested that silencing of SLC26A4-AS1 led to declined ITPR1 level, up-regulation of ETS1 promoted ITPR1 expression, and either ETS1 knockdown or autophagy inhibitor Bafilomycin A1 could mitigate the promoting effects of SLC26A4-AS1 overexpression on PTC cell autophagy. In vivo experiments also revealed that SLC26A4-AS1 overexpression suppressed PTC tumour growth. In conclusion, our study elucidated that SLC26A4-AS1 overexpression promoted ITPR1 expression through recruiting ETS1 and thereby promotes autophagy, alleviating PTC progression. These finding provides insight into novel target therapy for the clinical treatment of PTC.     

Long noncoding RNA PTPRG-AS1 acts as a microRNA-194-3p sponge to regulate radiosensitivity and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via PRC1

Protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1) has been reported in correlation with various malignancies. Functionality of PRC1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) was investigated, in perspective of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) regulatory circuitry. Aberrant expressed messenger RNA and lncRNA were screened out from the Gene Expression Omnibus microarray database. NPC cell line CNE-2 was adopted for in vitro study and transfected with mimic or short hairpin RNA of miR-194-3p and PTPRG-AS1. The radioactive sensitivity, cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were detected. PTPRG-AS1 and PRC1 were upregulated in NPC, whereas miR-194-3p was downregulated. PTPRG-AS1 was found to specifically bind to miR-194-3p as a competing endogenous RNA and miR-194-3p targets and negatively regulates PRC1. Overexpressed miR-194-3p or silenced PTPRG-AS1 resulted in enhanced sensitivity to radiotherapy and cell apoptosis along with suppressed cell migration, invasion and proliferation in NPC. Furthermore, impaired tumor formation was also caused by miR-194-3p overexpression or PTPRG-AS1 suppression through xenograft tumor in nude mice. In our study, PTPRG-AS1/miR-194-3p/PRC1 regulatory circuitry was revealed in NPC, the mechanism of which can be of clinical significance for treatment of NPC.     

Fibronectin-1 modulated by the long noncoding RNA OIP5-AS1/miR-200b-3p axis contributes to doxorubicin resistance of osteosarcoma cells

Chemoresistance has been an obstacle in the further improvement of 5-year survival rates of osteosarcoma (OS) patients, but the underlying mechanism of chemo-resistance remains unclear. A comprehensive analysis of mRNAs and noncoding RNAs related to OS chemo-resistance could help solve this problem. In the current study, we first identified that fibronectin-1 (FN1), screened by microarray analysis in three paired chemo-resistant and chemo-sensitive OS cell lines, was significantly upregulated in the chemo-resistant OS cell lines and tissues and was related to unfavourable prognosis. Further functional assays revealed that FN1 inhibition greatly increased the sensitivity of OS cells to doxorubicin in vitro and in vivo, whereas FN1 overexpression had the opposite effect. Moreover, mechanistic investigation demonstrated, by a series of assays that included luciferase reporter gene, RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down and rescue assays, that FN1 expression was regulated by the oncogenic long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) OIP5-AS1 through sponging miR-200b-3p. Thus, these results indicated the role and potential application of the lncRNA OIP5-AS1/miR-200b-3p/FN1 regulatory pathway as a promising target in treatment of OS chemo-resistance.     

Long non-coding RNA MEG3 promotes autophagy and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via PTEN up-regulation by binding to microRNA-21

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been highlighted as attractive markers for diagnosis and prognosis as well as new therapeutic targets in multiple cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Here, we attempted to investigate the underlying regulatory role of the lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) in NPC development. As determined by RT-qPCR, MEG3 expression was down-regulated in NPC cells. Online RNA crosstalk analysis predicted the binding of miR-21 to MEG3 and PTEN, respectively. MEG3 was validated to bind to miR-21 while PTEN was identified as a target of miR-21 by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Exogenous transfection was done to change the levels of MEG3, miR-21 and PTEN in HK-1 cells to investigate their effects on the autophagy and apoptosis of NPC cells. The results suggested that MEG3 overexpression in HK-1 cells up-regulated PTEN and down-regulated miR-21, by which MEG3 further inhibited autophagy and apoptosis ability of NPC cells. The tumour formation ability was tested after injecting the HK-1 cells into nude, mice and tumour growth was monitored. Consistently, MEG3 overexpression inhibited the tumour formation in vivo. Collectively, MEG3 promotes the autophagy and apoptosis of NPC cells via enhancing PTEN expression by binding to miR-21.     

LncRNA MAGI2-AS3 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and migration by targeting the miR-374b-5p/SMG1 signaling pathway

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proven to play critical roles in cancer progression. Recently, lncRNA MAGI2-AS3 has been revealed to be a tumor suppressor and inhibit cell growth by targeting the Fas/FasL signalling pathway in breast cancer. However, the role and underlying mechanism of MAGI2-AS3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unknown. In the current study, we found that MAGI2-AS3 expression is downregulated in HCC tissues and closely associated with some clinical characteristics (tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage) and poor overall survival. Overexpression of MAGI2-AS3 inhibits HCC cell proliferation and migration in vitro, while impedes tumor growth in vivo accordantly. In addition, our data suggest that MAGI2-AS3 could function as an endogenous sponge of miR-374b-5p by directly binding to it and suppressing its expression. Furthermore, miR-374b-5p upregulation could restore the inhibitory effect of MAGI2-AS3 on HCC cells processes. Moreover, suppressor with morphogenetic effect on genitalia family member 1 (SMG1) is positively regulated by MAGI2-AS3 via absorbing miR-374b-5p in HCC cells. More important, SMG1 knockdown reverses the suppressive function of MAGI2-AS3 in HCC cell processes. Taken together, we reveal a functional MAGI2-AS3/miR-374b-5p/SMG1 axis that suppresses HCC progression, potently suggesting a new road for HCC treatment.     

Long noncoding RNA DLGAP1-AS1 promotes cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma via sequestering miR-486-5p

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is most prevalent tumor in liver and one of the most fatal cancers in the world. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been accepted as important regulators in carcinomas. But there are still many lncRNAs including DLGAP1-AS1 unannotated in HCC. First of all, GEPIA suggested that DLGAP1-AS1 presented high expression in HCC tissue samples relative to the normal tissues. Besides, overexpression of DLGAP1-AS1 was also proved in HCC cell lines. Moreover, DLGAP1-AS1 knockdown efficiently suppressed cell proliferation in HCC. Interestingly, miR-486-5p was predicted and validated to interact with DLGAP1-AS1, while the level of miR-486-5p was significantly increased In HCC after DLGAP1-AS1 knockdown. Moreover, we uncovered that ectopic expression of miR-486-5p induced suppression on HCC cell proliferation and that miR-486-5p inhibition offset the effect of DLGAP1-AS1 silence on HCC cell proliferation and apoptosis. Furthermore, H3F3B was identified as target of miR-486-5p and was therefore positively regulated by DLGAP1-AS1 in HCC. Of note, H3F3B upregulation partly revived the declined cell proliferative capacity in response to DLGAP1-AS1 knockdown. To conclude, DLGAP1-AS1 exerted its oncogenic role in HCC via miR-486-5p/H3F3B axis. Our new findings provided novel theoretical basis for discovery of therapeutic targets of HCC.     

长链非编码RNAIFNG-AS1靶向miR-19b-1-5p调控oxLDL诱导的血管内皮细胞增殖、凋亡的机制研究

为了探讨长链非编码RNA干扰素活化基因的反义核糖核酸(lncRNA IFNG-AS1)对氧化型低密度脂蛋白(oxLDL)诱导的人脐静脉血管内皮细胞EVC-304增殖、凋亡的影响和调控机制,该研究采用100 μg/mL的oxLDL分别处理转染si-IFNG-AS1、miR-19b-1-5p mimics或共转染si-IF...     

Knockdown of long noncoding RNA urothelial carcinoma associated 1 inhibits colorectal cancer cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis via modulating autophagy

Long noncoding RNA urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1) has been implicated in the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC), and autophagy contributes to tumorigenesis and cancer cell survival. However, the regulatory role of UCA1 in CRC cell viability by modulating autophagy remains unclear. In the present study, a significant positive correlation was observed between UCA1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) levels, and the elevated UCA1 was negatively correlated with the PKB/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in 293T cells. Downregulation of UCA1 inhibited autophagy activation and cell proliferation, whereas the apoptosis was increased and the cell cycle was arrested in G2 stage. The next results showed that UCA1 was markedly upregulated in Caco-2 cells. Knockdown of UCA1 significantly decreased the LC3-II and autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5) protein levels and resulted in an increase in p62 expression. Conversely, the autophagy activator rapamycin (RAPA) reversed the effects. Furthermore, downregulated UCA1 decreased Caco-2 cells population in the G1 phase and increased the cells number in G2 phage. The cell proliferation was inhibited, and apoptosis rate was promoted. More important, RAPA could also abrogate the changes induced by knockdown of UCA1. Collectively, these data demonstrated that downregulated UCA1 induced autophagy inhibition, resulting in suppressing cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis, which suggested that UCA1 might serve as a potential new oncogene to regulate CRC cells viability by modulating autophagy.     

Long non‐coding RNA TNRC6C‐AS1 promotes methylation of STK4 to inhibit thyroid carcinoma cell apoptosis and autophagy via Hippo signalling pathway

The role of long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in thyroid carcinoma (TC), the most frequent endocrine malignancy, has been extensively examined. This study investigated effect of interaction among lncRNA TNRC6C‐AS1, serine/threonine‐protein kinase 4 (STK4) and Hippo signalling pathway on TC. Initially, lncRNA TNRC6C‐AS1 expression in TC tissues was detected. To explore roles of lncRNA TNRC6C‐AS1, STK4 and Hippo signalling pathway in TC progression, their expressions were altered. Interaction between lncRNA TNRC6C‐AS1 and STK4, STK4 promoter methylation, or Hippo signalling pathway was verified. After that, a series of experiments were employed to evaluate in vitro ability of apoptosis, proliferation and autophagy of TC cells and in vivo tumorigenicity, and tumour growth of TC cells. lncRNA TNRC6C‐AS1 was highly expressed while STK4 was poorly expressed in TC tissues. LncRNA TNRC6C‐AS1 promoted the STK4 methylation and down‐regulated STK4 expression, which further activated the Hippo signalling pathway. STK4 silencing was observed to promote the proliferation ability of TC cells, inhibit the apoptosis and autophagy abilities, as well as enhance the tumorigenicity and tumour growth. Moreover, the in vitro proliferation ability as well as the in vivo tumorigenicity and tumour growth of TC cells were inhibited after the blockade of Hippo signalling pathway, while the apoptosis and autophagy abilities were promoted. The results demonstrate that the lncRNA TNRC6C‐AS1 increases STK4 promoter methylation to down‐regulate STK4 expression, thereby promoting the development of TC through activation of Hippo signalling pathway. It highlights that lncRNA TNRC6C‐AS1 may be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of TC.