Long non-coding RNA LINC00152 promotes cell proliferation, metastasis, and confers 5-FU resistance in colorectal cancer by inhibiting miR-139-5p

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Long intergenic non-coding RNA 152 (<jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic>) is a recently identified tumor-promoting long non-coding RNA. However, the biological functions of <jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic> in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear and require further research. The aim of the present study is to explore the roles of <jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic> in cellular function and its possible molecular mechanism. In this study, we discovered that <jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic> was overexpressed in CRC tissues and negatively related to the survival time of CRC patients. Functional analyses revealed that <jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic> could promote cell proliferation. Furthermore, <jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic> could increase the resistance of CRC cells to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by suppressing apoptosis. We also discovered that <jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic> could enhance cell migration and invasion. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that <jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic> could regulate the expression of NOTCH1 through sponging miR-139-5p and inhibiting its activity from promoting CRC progression and development. Altogether, our work points out a novel <jats:italic>LINC00152</jats:italic>/miR-139-5p/NOTCH1 regulatory axis in CRC progression and development.</jats:p>