Upregulation of LINC02154 promotes esophageal cancer progression by enhancing cell cycling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in the progression of human malignancies; however, their involvement in esophageal cancer (ESCA) remains incompletely understood. In this study, we screened for lncRNAs upregulated in ESCA and identified 12 lncRNAs significantly upregulated in primary ESCA tumors. Among those, elevated LINC02154 expression correlated positively with advanced T stages. LINC02154 knockdown in ESCA cell lines suppressed cell proliferation and migration, while ectopic expression of LINC02154 enhanced colony formation. Depletion of LINC02154 suppressed genes involved in various oncogenic processes, including cell cycling, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and metabolism. We also found that LINC02154 promotes EMT and enhances chemoresistance, at least in part, through suppression of miR-200b. Finally, RNA-pulldown and mass spectrometry analysis revealed that LINC02154 interacts with proteins involved in the cornified envelope or desmosome. These findings suggest that LINC02154 exerts oncogenic effects through modulation of multiple oncogenic signaling pathways in ESCA and that LINC02154 is a potential therapeutic target.