PROX1 antisense RNA 1 (PROX1-AS1)

PROX1 antisense RNA 1 (PROX1-AS1) is a long non-coding RNA transcribed from the antisense strand of the PROX1 gene and located on human chromosome 1q32.3. It is not translated into protein. PROX1-AS1 is significantly upregulated in various cancers, including papillary thyroid carcinoma and gastric cancer, where it is implicated in promoting cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and suppression of apoptosis. Mechanistically, PROX1-AS1 can regulate tumor biology partly by acting as a competing endogenous RNA, sequestering tumor-suppressive microRNAs such as miR-877-5p and thereby altering expression of targets like PD-L1. In thyroid cancer, PROX1-AS1 has been shown to modulate the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, influencing metastatic potential. Due to these functions, PROX1-AS1 is an emerging biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in cancers, though no drugs act directly on it to date[1][2].

Other names

PROX1-AS1PROX1 antisense RNA 1 (non-protein coding)PROX1 antisense RNA 1

Indirect: Silencing or knockdown of PROX1-AS1 leads to inhibition of proliferation, migration, and invasion, and enhances apoptosis in cancer cells. Acts as a molecular sponge for specific microRNAs such as miR-877-5p, de-repressing downstream targets like PD-L1 in gastric cancer.