LINC00941 is a diagnostic biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma and promotes tumorigenesis through cell autophagy

Sep 22, 2026

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a lethal malignancy. Accumulating evidence links long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) to cancer as biomarkers and regulators, yet the role of LINC00941 in tumor autophagy remains unclear. This study establishes a risk assessment model and identifies LINC00941 as an autophagy-related lncRNA with independent predictive value and early diagnostic potential. RT-qPCR shows LINC00941 upregulation in LUAD tumor tissues and cell lines. Functional experiments, including CCK8, colony formation, and xenograft assays, demonstrate its cancer-promoting activity. Mechanistic analyses using Western blotting, mRFP-GFP-LC3 lentiviral imaging, and TEM confirm that LINC00941 knockdown triggers autophagy, suppressing LUAD proliferation, supporting LINC00941 as an early diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages12

Reading Time30 min

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Introduction

NSCLC and the need for early diagnostic markers

Limitations of current screening and tumor markers

Role of lncRNAs in cancer and autophagy

Dual role of autophagy and relevance of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

Received: 12 December 2023 | Revised: 27 July 2024 | Accepted: 28 August 2024 DOI: 10. 1111/jcmm.70076 OR I G I NAL ART I C L E LINC00941 is a diagnostic biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma and promotes tumorigenesis through cell autophagy Qin Yang1,2 | Xi Yong3 | Xiaoli Chen4 | Rong Huang5 | Xiaolin Wang4 | Zhengmin Xu5,6 | Wei Chen1,2 1School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China 2Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China 3 Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China 4Department of Pathology, Basic Medicine and Forensic Medicine College, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China 5School of Pharmacy, Institute of Materia Medical, North Sichuan Medical college, Nanchong, China 6Traditional Chinese Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Musculoskeletal Diseases Key Laboratory of Nanchong City, Nanchong, China Correspondence Zhengmin Xu, School of Pharmacy, Institute of Materia Medical, North Sichuan Medical college, Nanchong 637000, China. [Email:](Email: xuzhengmin@nsmc.edu.cn)[ xuzhengmin@nsmc.edu.cn](Email: xuzhengmin@nsmc.edu.cn) Wei Chen, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China. [Email:](Email: greatchen@ncst.edu.cn)[ greatchen@ncst.edu.cn](Email: greatchen@ncst.edu.cn) Funding information Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province, Grant/Award Number: 2023NSFSC0683 Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a lethal malignancy. There is mounting evidence indicating that lncRNAs are crucial players with dual roles as both biomarkers and regulators across various cancers. It was reported that LINC00941 plays a cancerpromoting role in NSCLC. However, its impact on tumour autophagy remains poorly understood. In this study, we developed a risk assessment model and identified an autophagy-related lncRNA LINC00941, which has independent predictive and early diagnostic potential. Using RT-qPCR analysis, we confirmed the upregulation of LINC00941 in tumour tissues and cell lines of human lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) . Functional assays, such as CCK8, colony formation and xenograft models, demonstrated the cancer-promoting activity of LINC00941 both in vitro and in vivo. Further analysis using Western blotting analysis, mRFP-GFP-LC3 double fluorescence lentivirus vector and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that the knockdown of LINC00941 triggered autophagy. These results indicate that knockdown of LINC00941 induces autophagy and impairs the proliferation of LUAD. Therefore, we propose LINC00941 as an independent biomarker for early diagnosis as well as a therapeutic target in LUAD. K E Y WO R D S autophagy, LINC00941, lung adenocarcinoma, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2024 The Author(s) . Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. J Cell Mol Med. 2024;28:e70076 . [https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.70076](https://doi.org/10.1111/jcmm.70076) [wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jcmm](wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jcmm) 1 of 12 1 | INTRODUCTION Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a prevalent malignancy, with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) as the predominant pathological subtype, accounting for 78% of cases.1 While advancements in tumour treatments, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have improved overall care, the survival rate for LUAD remains low, with only 10%–20% of patients surviving 5 years after diagnosis.2 This is primarily attributed to the absence of reliable early diagnostic and therapeutic indicators.2–4 There

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study on LINC00941 in LUAD?

To clarify whether LINC00941 can serve as an autophagy-related lncRNA with diagnostic and predictive value, and to determine how it affects LUAD tumorigenesis through autophagy.

How was LINC00941 expression validated in the study?

RT-qPCR was used to confirm upregulation of LINC00941 in LUAD tumor tissues and human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines.

What evidence shows that LINC00941 regulates autophagy in LUAD?

Western blotting, mRFP-GFP-LC3 double-fluorescence lentiviral assays, and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that LINC00941 knockdown triggers autophagy.

Sep 22, 2026

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