LINC01857 promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression by scaffolding DNMT1 to suppress WIF1 expression.

The long intergenic non-coding RNA LINC01857 has been implicated in various human malignancies; however, its specific role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. In this study, we report that LINC01857 is markedly upregulated in ccRCC tissues and cell lines. Functionally, LINC01857 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ccRCC cells, whereas its overexpression promoted these malignant phenotypes. Mechanistically, LINC01857 recruits the DNA methyltransferase DNMT1 to the WIF1 promoter, leading to promoter hypermethylation and transcriptional repression of WIF1. This epigenetic repression of WIF1, in turn, activates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which contributes to the aggressive behaviors of ccRCC cells. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-026-38828-6.