LncRNA01730 Affects Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Facilitates the Stage-Dependent Progression of Colorectal Cancer

Objective: Despite advancements in diagnosing and treating colorectal cancer (CRC), long-term survival rates remain low. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a role in CRC development, but its specific function is unclear. This study focused on lncRNA01730 and its connection to the MYC and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in CRC. Material and methods: Using the clusterProfiler package in R, we conducted a detailed GO and pathway enrichment analysis to map the genetic landscape. Results and Discussion: We confirmed the expression levels of lncRNA01730, MYC, and related targets in 32 CRC specimens and their adjacent normal tissues, as well as in cell lines, through qRT-PCR. To assess the correlation between tumor stage and clinical features, we performed a comprehensive analysis using patient data collected from medical records. Our findings revealed that lncRNA01730 levels were significantly elevated in CRC tissues, particularly in advanced stages, compared to normal tissues (p < 0.01). We utilized bioinformatics and experimental analysis to investigate the overexpression of lncRNA01730 and its correlation with tumor characteristics, such as histologic grade. Additionally, we examined its impact on the overexpression of the MYC and Wnt pathways, focusing on the AXIN2 and CTNNB genes. High lncRNA01730 expression was associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics and reduced overall survival. Conclusions: Our results indicate that lncRNA01730 could be a new biomarker for predicting CRC prognosis, offering insights into the molecular mechanisms of CRC progression and potential therapeutic targets. This study highlights the importance of lncRNA01730 in CRC and suggests it could be a valuable tool for improving patient outcomes.