LncRNA WWTR1-AS1 upregulates Notch3 through miR-136 to increase cancer cell stemness in cervical squamous cell carcinoma

TL;DR

This study explores how the lncRNA WWTR1-AS1 increases cancer stemness in cervical cancer by upregulating Notch3 through miR-136.

Contribution

The study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism involving WWTR1-AS1, miR-136, and Notch3 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Findings

WWTR1-AS1 is upregulated in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissues.

Overexpression of WWTR1-AS1 increases Notch3 levels and cancer cell stemness.

miR-136 reduces stemness and counteracts the effects of WWTR1-AS1 overexpression.

Abstract

This Study investigated the role of WWTR1-AS1 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).

WWTR1-AS1 expression was upregulated in CSCC tissues. WWTR1-AS1 was predicted to interact with miR-136, whereas correlation analysis revealed that there was no close correlation between WWTR1-AS1 and miR-136 across CSCC samples. Moreover, WWTR1-AS1 and miR-136 did not regulate the expression of each other. In addition, overexpression of WWTR1-AS1 increased the expression levels of Notch3, which could be targeted by miR-136. Cell stemness analysis indicated that the overexpression of WWTR1-AS1 and Notch3 increased CSCC cell stemness and the capacity of CSCC cell to grow as spheroids. Overexpression of miR-136 decreased CSCC cell stemness and reversed the effects of overexpression of WWTR1-AS1 on Notch3 in CSCC cells.

Therefore, WWTR1-AS1 may upregulate Notch3 through miR-136 to increase cancer cell stemness in CSCC.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-024-02905-7.

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