Long Non-coding RNA SOX21-AS1 Modulates Lung Cancer Progress Upon MicroRNA MiR-24-3p/PIM2 Axis

Lung cancer is a lethal cancer that threatens human health. Several studies have demonstrated the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in lung cancer. is a newly discovered oncogenic lncRNA, but its molecular mechanism in lung cancer is not known. Here, the levels of , and PIM2 were examined in lung cancer and normal tissues. The relationships between and or PIM2 were predicted using bioinformatics tools and confirmed using a luciferase reporter assays. Colony formation, MTT, flow cytometry, and transwell assays were conducted to analyze cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion abilities, respectively. Western blotting was used to measure PIM2 expression levels in cancer tissues and cells. expression levels were high in lung cancer tissues and cells. In contrast, the amount of bound to was relatively low in cancerous tissues and cells. The knockdown of decreased cell proliferation, activated apoptosis, and promoted cell migration and invasion. These effects were abolished by inhibition. The oncogenic function of mediated through targeting was also demonstrated in animal models. PIM2 was targeted by and showed increased levels in tumor tissues and cells. Furthermore, overexpression inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of lung cancer cells. In lung cancer cells, negatively modulated the /PIM2 axis to facilitate their proliferation, migration, and invasion. These findings offer a novel idea for future research on treating lung cancer at the molecular level.