HOXC cluster antisense RNA 3 (HOXC-AS3)

HOXC cluster antisense RNA 3 (HOXC-AS3) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that serves as an antisense transcript of the HOXC gene cluster, located on human chromosome 12[3][7]. It does not encode a protein but plays important regulatory roles in gene expression, cellular function, and tumor biology. HOXC-AS3 is found to be aberrantly overexpressed in multiple cancer types, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and glioma[2][3][4][5][6][7]. Functionally, HOXC-AS3 regulates tumor cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, autophagy, and metastasis. Mechanistically, it acts through several pathways including direct binding and regulation of key proteins such as CDK2 (promoting cell cycle progression in hepatocellular carcinoma)[2], acting as a competing endogenous RNA to "sponge" tumor-suppressive microRNAs (such as miR-216 in glioma)[4], and stabilizing the transcription factor YBX1 to enhance transcription of HOXC8 in non-small cell lung cancer[5]. Its high expression is associated with poor prognosis in several malignancies, positioning HOXC-AS3 both as a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target[3][5][7]. There are currently no direct drug therapies or established inhibitors targeting HOXC-AS3 in clinical use. The safety and challenges of therapeutically targeting HOXC-AS3, or lncRNAs in general, remain largely uncertain, but it is actively under investigation as a target in cancer research.

Other names

HOXC-AS3HOXC cluster antisense RNA 3lncRNA HOXC-AS3

Regulation of protein partners (e.g., CDK2, YBX1); Competing endogenous RNA activity (sponging miRNAs); Transcriptional regulation; Stabilization of proteins involved in tumor progression