lncRNA SOX2-OT regulates laryngeal cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion and induces apoptosis by suppressing miR-654

Laryngeal carcinoma is the most common type of malignant tumor in the head and neck. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve crucial roles in numerous biological processes. The present study aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA SOX2-OT in laryngeal cancer and to reveal the underlying mechanisms. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR assays were used to measure the expression levels of SOX2-OT in the laryngeal cell lines. Furthermore, cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were assessed by CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. Western blot assay was performed to detect the protein expressions. In addition, a dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the direct interaction between SOX2-OT and microRNA (miR)-654. The data demonstrated that SOX2-OT level were significantly increased in the laryngeal cell lines. Furthermore, SOX2-OT silencing markedly promoted apoptosis and suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of TU-177 cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-654 was a direct target of SOX2-OT. Moreover, downregulation of miR-654 could attenuate cell apoptosis and accelerate cell proliferation, migration and invasion in TU-177 cells. In summary, the present study reported that knockdown of SOX2-OT could suppress cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induce apoptosis in laryngeal cancer by targeting miR-654.