Increased levels of the long noncoding RNA, HOXA-AS3, promote proliferation of A549 cells.

Many long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as powerful regulators of lung adenocarcinoma (LAD). However, the role of HOXA-AS3, a novel lncRNA, in LAD is largely unknown. In this study, we showed that HOXA-AS3 was significantly upregulated in LAD tissues and A549 cells. After knockdown of HOXA-AS3, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were inhibited. Xenografts derived from A549 cells transfected with shRNA/HOXA-AS3 had significantly lower tumor weights and smaller tumor volumes. We also demonstrated that HOXA-AS3 increased HOXA6 mRNA stability by forming an RNA duplex. In addition, HOXA6 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Using a RNA pull-down assay, we found that HOXA-AS3 bonded with NF110, which regulated the cell localization of HOXA-AS3. Moreover, histone acetylation was involved in upregulation of HOXA-AS3. These results demonstrate that HOXA-AS3 was activated in LAD and supported cancer cell progression. Therefore, inhibition of HOXA-AS3 could be an effective targeted therapy for patients with LAD.