Pseudogene DUXAP8 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Migration of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Sponging MiR-490-5p to Induce BUB1 Expression

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) currently remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) had been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the progression of multiple human cancers, including HCC. In this study, we found that lncRNA DUXAP8 was upregulated in tumor samples and served as an oncogene in HCC. Bioinformatics analysis showed that DUXAP8 was significantly associated with the regulation of centrosome organization, homologous recombination, meiotic cell cycle process, sister chromatid segregation, nuclear chromosome segregation, and RNA export from the nucleus. The knockdown of DUXAP8 significantly suppresses cell proliferation and the cell cycle but induces cell apoptosis in HCC. Mechanically, the present study showed that DUXAP8 serves as a sponge of MiR-490-5p to promote the expression of BUB1 in HCC. Although the underlying regulatory mechanisms of DUXAP8 in HCC require further investigation, this study, for the first time, showed that DUXAP8 can serve as a new therapeutic target for HCC.