High expression of lncRNA <i>LINC00963</i> is associated with advanced cervical cancer through the <i>miR-612/FOXM1</i> axis

Abstract Objectives Cervical cancer is a highly prevalent malignant tumor among women, with an increasing incidence. LINC00963 is aberrantly expressed as a cancer-promoting long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in a variety of cancers, but its role in cervical cancer is unclear. This study revealed the expression characteristics, clinical significance, and cancer promotion mechanism of LINC00963 in cervical cancer and provided new ideas for targeted therapy. Methods The expression of LINC00963 , miR-612 , and FOXM1 was detected using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the clinical significance of LINC00963 was analyzed using the chi-square (χ 2 ) test and Cox regression analysis. The interaction between LINC00963 and miR-612 was validated through dual-luciferase assays, and the changes in cervical cancer cell phenotypes were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell experiments. Results The expression of LINC00963 in cervical cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and it was significantly associated with tumor recurrence, staging, and lymph node metastasis. Upregulation of LINC00963 can predict poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer, and its expression is negatively correlated with the expression of miR-612 . Silencing LINC00963 significantly inhibited the growth, migration, and invasion of HeLa cells, while inhibiting miR-612 weakened this effect. LINC00963 promotes the expression of FOXM1 by directly suppressing miR-612 . Conclusions LINC00963 is highly expressed in cervical cancer and promotes tumor progression. It regulates cancer cell functions by modulating the miR-612 / FOXM1 pathway, suggesting that the LINC00963 / miR-612 / FOXM1 axis could serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cervical cancer.