Long noncoding RNA ANRIL could be transactivated by c-Myc and promote tumor progression of non-small-cell lung cancer.

In recent years, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to play important roles in the development of human cancer. We assessed the role of lncRNA ANRIL in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect the expression of ANRIL in NSCLC tissues and paired nontumor tissues. The high expression level of ANRIL was positively correlated with advanced tumor-node-metastasis stage and greater tumor diameter. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the physical interaction between c-Myc and ANRIL. ANRIL silencing significantly inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation. Together, we showed that ANRIL is involved in the oncogenesis of NSCLC, and ANRIL may be a potential therapeutic target for patients with NSCLC.