Long noncoding RNA linc00467 plays an oncogenic role in hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the miR‐18a‐5p/NEDD9 axis

Increasing evidence has shown that numerous long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in tumorigenesis. Herein, we investigated the biological role of lncRNA linc00467 in the cancer biology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We observed that linc00467 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Silencing of linc00467 using small interfering RNA interference significantly inhibited the growth and motility of HCC cells, and increased cell apoptosis through regulating the Bcl‐2/Bax axis and the caspase cascade, suggesting that linc00467 exerted oncogenic functions in the progression of HCC. Moreover, we found that linc00467 could target miR‐18a‐5p, and NEDD9 was a target for miR‐18a‐5p in HCC cells. Furthermore, either the miR‐18a‐5p inhibitor or upregulation of NEDD9 could recover the inhibitory effects caused by silencing of linc00467. In conclusion, our data highlighted the oncogenic role of linc00467 in HCC progression by regulating the miR‐18a‐5p/NEDD9 axis. linc00467 was expressed higher in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues than the paired adjacent normal tissues. Silencing of linc00467 inhibited the viability, migration, and invasion abilities of HCC cells, and promoted cell apoptosis by regulating the miR‐18a‐5p/NEDD9 axis.