LncRNA HCG18 promotes Prostate Cancer progression by regulating miR-512-3p/HK-2 axis

Abstract Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays an important role in tumor progression. Numerous studies show that lncRNA is strongly associated with prostate cancer progression. Our study confirmed that lncRNA HCG18 was highly expressed in prostate cancer (PC) and correlated with tumor progression in databases and cell lines. Western blot, RNA Pull-down, dual luciferase assay and rescue assays verified the correlation among lncRNA HCG18, miR-512-3p and hexokinase-2(HK-2). In general, the results showed that lncRNA HCG18 accelerated cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of PC via up-regulating HK-2 through sponging miR-512-3p, which provided a new direction for the diagnosis and treatment of PC.