Long non-coding RNA DNM3OS promotes tumor progression and EMT in gastric cancer by associating with Snail

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as tumor suppressors or oncogenes in tumor development and progression. In the present study, we explored the expression and biological role of the lncRNA DNM3OS in gastric cancer (GC). We observed that DNM3OS was upregulated in GC tissues and cell lines, and high DNM3OS expression was correlated with malignant features and served as an indicator of a poor prognosis for GC patients. DNM3OS knockdown inhibited the proliferation of GC cells, and reduced DNM3OS suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, DNM3OS depletion inhibited the migration and invasion of GC cells through the suppression of the Snail-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In conclusion, we demonstrated that DNM3OS serves as an oncogenic lncRNA in GC, and we implicated DNM3OS as a promising prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target for GC patients. •DNM3OS expression was elevated in GC patients tissues.•Higher expression of DNM3OS was associated with poor survival of GC patients.•DNM3OS promotes malignancy in GC cells.•DNM3OS depletion inhibited the invasion of GC cells through the suppression of the Snail-mediated EMT.