Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs play an important role in various biological processes, including tumorigenesis. FOXC1 (Forkhead box C1) is a member of the Forkhead box family of transcription factors and plays a crucial role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study, a novel long noncoding RNA (FOXCUT) located upstream of FOXC1 was investigated in 42 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Our analysis revealed that the expression levels of FOXCUT and FOXC1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues were significantly higher than those observed in chronic nasopharyngitis tissues and that FOXCUT expression was positively correlated with FOXC1 expression. Additionally, knockdown of FOXCUT significantly inhibited proliferation and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and resulted in downregulated expression of the matrix metalloproteinase 7 and matrix metalloproteinase 9, as well as vascular endothelial growth factor A and β-catenin. Our findings suggested that FOXCUT expression contributed to the development and progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting FOXC1 and that FOXCUT might be useful as a potential nasopharyngeal carcinoma biomarker and therapeutic target.