LncRNA GAS5 Interacts with MicroRNA-10b to Inhibit Cell Proliferation and Migration and Induces Apoptosis in Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to study the effects of the GAS5/microRNA-10b (miR-10b) axis on proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: The expression levels of GAS5 and miR-10b in CRC tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Wound healing experiment was used to detect the effects of GAS5 and miR-10b on the migration of CRC cells. The luciferase reporter gene experiment was used to verify miRNA targets. Immunohistochemical assay was used to detect the expression of proteins related to metastasis and apoptosis in tumor tissues. RESULTS: The expression of GAS5 was downregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. The overexpression of GAS5 can inhibit cell proliferation and progression, induce apoptosis in vitro, and inhibit the growth of CRC tumor in vivo. In contrast, the expression of miR-10b, a downstream target of GAS5, was increased in CRC tissues and cells. Suppression of the miR-10b gene can inhibit proliferation and metastasis and cause apoptosis of CRC cells. In addition, luciferase reports show that GAS5 inhibits the progression of CRC cells by binding to miR-10b. Rescue experiments showed that overexpressed miR-10b could reverse GAS5-mediated antitumor effect on CRC cells in vivo and in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA GAS5 interacts with miR-10b to inhibit cell proliferation and migration and induces apoptosis in colorectal cancer. GAS5 and miR-10b could become potential therapeutic targets for CRC.