LncRNA BANCR Attenuates the Killing Capacity of Cisplatin on Gastric Cancer Cell Through the ERK1/2 Pathway

Purpose: Chemotherapy remains a cornerstone in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. However, the development of chemoresistance frequently leads to treatment failure. Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) BRAF-activated non-coding RNA (BANCR) has been implicated in various biological processes across multiple cancers. Nevertheless, its role in the development of chemoresistance in gastric cancer remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the function of LncRNA BANCR in mediating chemoresistance in gastric cancer.
Methods: The expression of LncRNA BANCR was evaluated in gastric cancer patient samples and cell lines using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Cisplatin-treated cell proliferation and viability were assessed through clonogenic survival assays and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. The activity of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway was examined via Western blot analysis. To further explore the role of BANCR, the ERK pathway inhibitor Ly3214996 was used to determine the effects of BANCR overexpression in cisplatin-resistant gastric cancer cells. The involvement of BANCR in cisplatin resistance was also validated in vivo using xenograft mouse models.
Results: LncRNA BANCR expression was significantly elevated in gastric cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Overexpression of BANCR enhanced cisplatin resistance in gastric cancer cells in vitro, while treatment with Ly3214996 reversed this resistance by inhibiting ERK protein phosphorylation. In vivo, knockdown of BANCR significantly suppressed tumor growth in xenograft models.
Conclusion: LncRNA BANCR enhances cisplatin resistance in gastric cancer cells through activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Targeting BANCR not only reduced chemoresistance but also inhibited gastric cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that BANCR could serve as a potential therapeutic target for overcoming chemoresistance in gastric cancer.