Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 974 (LINC00974)

Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 974 (LINC00974) is a long non-coding RNA transcribed from chromosome 17, classified as an lncRNA rather than a protein-coding gene[1][5][7]. It has been consistently found upregulated in various cancer types, including hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric cancer, where its increased expression correlates with tumor progression, metastasis, and poor patient prognosis[2][4]. LINC00974 exerts its biological effects predominantly through post-transcriptional regulation, acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that sponges or titrates microRNAs (such as miR-642 and miR-33a), thereby de-repressing targets such as KRT19 (keratin 19) and CDK6, which are critical in the activation of pathways like Notch, TGF-β, and cell cycle progression[2][4]. Functionally, LINC00974 promotes cellular proliferation, invasion, and migration, as well as inhibits apoptosis. A specific plasma fraction, LINC00974F-1, has been proposed as a biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring cancer progression, especially when used in combination with CYFRA21-1[2]. There are currently no known drugs directly targeting LINC00974, but its role as a ceRNA and correlation with aggressive tumor phenotypes make it a candidate for future RNA-based therapeutic strategies.

Other names

ENSG00000226629NONHSAG021780.2HSALNG0141637

Regulation via acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), sponging specific miRNAs (e.g., miR-642, miR-33a, miR-122) to modulate expression of nearby protein-coding genes (e.g., KRT19, CDK6, RhoA)[2][4][11]