Long non-coding RNA AGAP2-AS1 is up regulated in colorectal cancer.

Accumulating evidence has indicated that, aberrant lncRNA expression plays essential roles in the colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis. AGAP2-AS1 is upregulated in some cancers, however, its involvement in the CRC tumorigenesis in the population of North-West of Iran has remained unknown. In this study, we evaluated its deregulation in CRC microarray datasets, colon cell lines, CRC tumor, adenomatous colorectal polyps and their paired normal tissues. The results showed that AGAP2-AS1 is upregulated in CRC and might be considered as a potential biomarker for CRC development. Moreover, our results suggest AGAP2-AS1 promoted CRC progression by sponging the hsa-miR-15/16 family and upregulation of their targets.