LncRNA ZEB2-AS1 promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth and invasion through regulating the miR-204/HMGB1 axis

Recently, lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 was identified as a lncRNA that promoted cancer progression. However, the biological function and the underlying mechanism of ZEB2-AS1 in pancreatic cancer had not been reported. In the current study, we revealed that the expression level of ZEB2-AS1 was elevated in pancreatic cancer cell lines and tissues. ZEB2-AS1 inhibition decreased cell growth and invasion in pancreatic cancer. Mechanismly, ZEB2-AS1 exerted as a ceRNA and negatively regulated miR-204 expression. In addition, HMGB1 was identified as a down-stream target of miR-204. The miR-204/HMGB1 axis mediated ZEB2-AS1's effect on pancreatic cancer. Our findings revealed that lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 may be a candidate prognostic biomarker and a target for new therapies in pancreatic cancer patients.