LncRNA SNHG16 promotes cell proliferation through miR-302a-3p/FGF19 axis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide and the leading cause of death in Asian and African countries. Aberrant accumulation of lncRNAs is one of the major causes of tumorigenesis in HCC. Small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) is identified as an oncogene in multiple types of tumors. However, the role of SNHG16 in HCC is poorly understood. Herein, we show that SNHG16 is up-regulated and associated with poor prognosis in HCC. We also demonstrate that SNHG16 interacts with miR-302a-3p and decreases its expression. Moreover, our results indicate that SNHG16/miR-302a-3p axis regulates expression of the FGF19 in liver cancer cells. Finally, we investigated the biological function of SNHG16 in HCC and showed that SNHG16 promotes liver cancer cell proliferation via the SNHG16/ miR-302a-3p/FGF19 axis. Collectively, these data suggest that SNHG16 might be a predictive biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in liver cancer.