LncRNA HCP5 enhances the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer via miR-216a-5p/CDC42 axis

To investigate the important roles of the cancer-promoting long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cervical cancer, the up-regulated lncRNAs and prognostic analysis were identified through Lnc2Cancer and Lncar. LncRNA-regulated miRNA and miRNA-target mRNA were analyzed based on starBase v2.0 and miTarbase to predict the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network. Based on the above findings, the abnormally expressed histocompatibility leukocyte antigen complex P5 (HCP5) was identified in 31 cervical cancer patients through RT-qPCR. The stable cell lines were constructed to explore the effect of HCP5 on the promotion of cervical cancer and the regulatory role on the expression of miR-216a-5p and CDC42. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, cell clone formation, and transwell assay were used to examine proliferation and migration ability of cervical cancer cells. The results displayed that the overexpression of HCP5 promoted cervical cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro, and the elevated HCP5 can also promote tumor growth in vivo. Besides, RT-qPCR and western blot assay revealed that elevated HCP5 suppressed miR-216a-5p expression and then up-regulated the expression of CDC42. In contrast, knocking down HCP5 resulted in increased expression of miR-216a-5p and then downregulated the expression of CDC42. Rescue experiments also demonstrated that miR-216a-5p could in part intercept in promotion impact caused by HCP5 on cervical cancer cells. Above all, HCP5, as an oncogene, can promote proliferation and migration ability of cervical cancer via the regulation of the miR-216a-5p/CDC42 axis.