Abstract
Recent advances have highlighted the important roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in a number of biological processes, including oncogenesis. However, the function of lncRNA cartilage injury-related (lncRNA-CIR) in bladder cancer progression remains elusive. A novel function for lncRNA-CIR in bladder cancer was identified in the present study. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, viability, invasion assay and in vivo implantation were used to evaluate the role of lncRNA-CIR. It was identified that the expression of lncRNA-CIR was frequently upregulated in 52 cancerous tissues and selected bladder cancer cell lines. Additionally, upregulating lncRNA-CIR was demonstrated to promote viability and invasion in T24 and SW780 cells, whereas siRNA-mediated lncRNA-CIR-knockdown consistently exhibited the opposite effects. High lncRNA-CIR levels also dictated poor overall survival among patients with bladder cancer. Furthermore, in vivo implantation experiments also supported a tumorigenic function for lncRNA-CIR, as decreasing lncRNA-CIR levels markedly attenuated Ki-67 staining and xenograft tumor growth. Overall, the present study identified a novel function of lncRNA-CIR and indicates that lncRNA-CIR may serve as a potential biomarker for bladder cancer treatment.