Long non-coding RNA MIAT promotes cervical cancer proliferation and migration.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world while its pathological mechanisms are not well-elucidated. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been implicated in cancer development. The dysregulation of lncRNA myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) has been reported in several cancers while its role in cervical cancer is not described yet. In this study, the role of MIAT in cervical cancer was explored. We evaluated the expression of MIAT in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, we explored the effects of MIAT on proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer using cell model and animal transplantation model. We also evaluated the effects of MIAT on activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway. Our results show that MIAT was up-regulated in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Knocking down MIAT resulted in decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells and suppression of tumour growth in mice. Mechanically, knocking down MIAT suppressed the activation of PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. In conclusion, MIAT promotes cell proliferation and invasion in cervical cancer.