LncRNA MANCR positively affects the malignant progression of lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: LncRNA MANCR (mitosis-related lncRNA, LINC00704) is deemed as a pivotal regulator in various cancers, yet the biological function it performs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) was rarely reported. We made an in-depth study to clarify its effect during the progression of this cancer. METHODS: Expression data and clinical information were first accessed from TCGA LUAD dataset (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/repository). Differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified. R package “survival” determined the survival significance of the lncRNA MANCR. GSEA software was applied to conduct single sample enrichment analysis. qRT-PCR was used to examine MANCR expression. The expression levels of related proteins were tested using Western blot assay. The impact of MANCR on cancer cell biological behaviors was investigated via cell function experiments. RESULTS: MANCR was significantly upregulated in LUAD cells. It also resulted in a poor prognosis. When MANCR expression was down-regulated, the expression of proteins related to invasion and migration, cell cycle and proliferation was decreased, while the expression of proteins associated with apoptosis was elevated. Furthermore, in vitro experiments revealed that silencing MANCR inhibited cancer cell functions, blocked cell cycle progression while promoting cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION: LncRNA MANCR can lead to enhanced proliferative, invasive and migratory abilities of cancer cells while reducing cell apoptosis. Hence, MANCR might be a novel biomarker of LUAD. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12890-021-01635-y.