<p>Long Non-Coding RNA HAND2-AS1 Inhibits Growth and Migration of Gastric Cancer Cells Through Regulating the miR-590-3p/KCNT2 Axis</p>
Authors: Hui Li
Guanxin Gao
Zongqi Feng
Feng Li
Zhouying Wu
Zhiying Li
Min Wang
Huilin Xia
Jianchao Jia
Lan Yu
Journal: OncoTargets and Therapy (2020)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: HAND2-AS1; KCNT2; gastric cancer; miR-590-3p.
Affiliations: Clinical Medical Research Center, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Hohhot 010017, People's Republic of China., Department of Oncology, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Hohhot 010017, People's Republic of China., Medical Engineering Department, Inner Mongolia People's Hospital, Hohhot 010017, People's Republic of China.

Abstract:  Introduction: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are regarded as crucial regulators for cancer initiation and progression. Heart and Neural Crest Derivatives Expressed 2 antisense RNA 1 (HAND2-AS1) was recently proposed to function as tumor suppressor in several human cancers. However, its role in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. Methods: HAND2-AS1 expression in GC tissues and normal tissues was analyzed at GEPIA (a web server for gene expression profiling analysis). Moreover, RT-qPCR method was utilized to explore HAND2-AS1 expression in GC cells and normal cell. In vitro experiments were carried out using cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry assay, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase activity reporter assay were performed to identify the downstream targets of HAND2-AS1. Results: We found HAND2-AS1 has decreased expression in both GC tissues and cells. Overexpression of HAND2-AS1 was able to inhibit GC cell proliferation, colony formation, but promote apoptosis. On the contrary, knockdown of HAND2-AS1 could cause the opposite effects on GC cells. Furthermore, HAND2-AS1 was shown to function as a competitive RNA that binds with microRNA-590-3p (miR-590-3p) to affect the expression of potassium sodium-activated channel subfamily T member 2 (KCNT2). Discussion: Our results indicated the tumor suppressive role of HAND2-AS1 in GC. Also, the newly identified HAND2-AS1/miR-590-3p/KCNT2 axis will help us to understand the role of HAND2-AS1 in cancer. 

Retracted: Yes

PubPeer comments:
 The SEM micrographs shown in this paper are conspicuous. In the first place, none of them includes a scale bar, magnification, voltage, or any other information related to the acquisition of the micrograph. Certain phases (particularly ettringite and C-S-H) are identified on multiple micrographs without explanation as to how the phase was determined. In many cases, these phases are misidentified. Fig. 14(d) claims to show a fracture surface of a mortar, but the background appears to be a substantively-homogenous material, not a cement matrix. Importantly, the scale of the images appears to be highly inconsistent and also unrealistic. The authors reported that the steel fibers that they used had a diameter of 0.90 mm (Table 2). In the figure below, the authors original markings are in red. For contrast, markings in blue have been added, which show the diameter of the steel fibers to vary greatly between Figures 15(b), 15(d), and 15(f). What are identified as  steel fiber voids could not have possibly been so, due to their size. If the void in question in Figure 15(f) were truly a steel fiber void, then the micrograph would have had a frame size of approximately 7-8 mm, which is far greater than is possible in a SEM. Furthermore, if this were truly the scale of these images, then it would not be possible to identify micro-scale phases such as ettringite and C-S-H. ![file] ,