Reviewer’ s report
Title: LncRNA GATA6-AS inhibits cancer cell proliferation and promotes cancer cell apoptosis in
cervical cancer by down-regulating miR-205
Version: 0Date: 01 Jul 2019
Reviewer: Carlos Pérez Pérez-Plasencia
Reviewer's report:
Manuscript presented by Xiaoying Zhao and collaborators it is shown that miR-205 is over-
expressed in CSCC patients, while GATA6-AS lncRNA levels were found under-expressed.Subsequently the authors demonstrate that GATA6-AS overexpression decreases miR-205 levelsin cervical cancer cell lines. Finally, the authors demonstrate that over-expressing GATA6-AS cellsincrease their apoptosis levels and decrease proliferation.
The manuscript i well written; however there are several points that must be attended before a
final decision could be taken:
Major concernsAuthors concluded that GATA6-AS is a tumor suppressor in the development CSCC and GATA6-
AS may inhibit CSCC by downregulating miR-205. However, any presented experiment couldlead to that conclusion.
The authors found a trend in levels of proliferation and apoptosis in the presence of GATA6As.
However, it is not possible to conclude that GATA6-AS is a tumor suppressor lncRNA.
The work was performed on tumors without HPV (almost 40%); why authors did not include
experiments with cell lines negative for HPV?
Authors must explain in terms of sequence alignment how is possible to correlate GATA-AS to
miR-25.
Minor:
Cited paper by Peto and co-workers does not state that HPV-negative cervical cancer is even moremalignant compared with HPV-positive cervical cancer. Please change the sentence or explain indetail the information about it.
The following two sentences are the same: In the present study we found that plasma GATA6-AS
was downregulated in CSCC patients than in healthy females. Downregulation of GATA6-ASdistinguished CSCC patients from healthy females.
Are the methods appropriate and well described?
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.
NoDoes the work include the necessary controls?
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.
Yes
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.
NoAre you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an
additional statistical review?If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require furtherassessment in your comments to the editors.
I am able to assess the statisticsQuality of written English
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:
AcceptableDeclaration of competing interests
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of thismanuscript, either now or in the future?
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the
manuscript?
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that holds
or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?6. Do you have any non-financial competing interests in relation to this paper?
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' below.
If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.
None declaredI agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named reportincluding any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons
CC-BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). I understand that any comments
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential commentsto the editors, which will not be published.
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal