LUCAT1 promotes stemness in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR-128

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LUCAT1 is crucial for maintaining cancer stem cell properties in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
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Knockdown of LUCAT1 significantly reduces cancer cell stemness and suppresses HNSCC progression in various experimental assays.
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LUCAT1 acts as a competing endogenous RNA, sponging miR-128 and promoting oncogenesis by relieving post-transcriptional repression.
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Restoration of miR-128 reverses the antitumor effects of LUCAT1 knockdown in HNSCC cell lines and xenograft models.
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The LUCAT1/miR-128 axis is identified as a potential therapeutic target for HNSCC, highlighting its role in cancer stemness regulation.

Frontiers In Oncology

by Yifan Wen, Shuo Liu, Yaqing Mao, Ruifeng Li, Hui Yuh Soh, Yao Yu, Wen-bo Zhang, Lingfei Jia, Xin Peng
June 3, 2026

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