LncRNA FEZF1‐AS1 accelerates multiple myeloma progression by regulating IGF2BP1/BZW2 signaling

Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second largest hematological tumor with clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells. Growing reports have revealed that the dysregulation of long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in the MM progression. Nevertheless, lncRNA FEZF1 antisense RNA 1 (FEZF1‐AS1) remain not deeply explored. The RNA transcripts and protein level of MM‐associated molecule were measured by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction or western blot assays, respectively. The clinical correlation was analyzed by Pearson analysis. Molecular interactions among lncRNA FEZF1‐AS1, basic leucine zipper and W2 domain 2 (BZW2) and insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA‐binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) were verified by RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull‐down assays. The survival of MM cells was detected by cell counting kit‐8 and flow cytometry assays. Xenograft tumor in vivo was performed to assess tumor growth. The RNA transcripts of lncRNA FEZF1‐AS1, BZW2 and IGF2BP1 were upregulated in MM samples compared to those in healthy donors. Knockdown of lncRNA FEZF1‐AS1 could inhibit the proliferation and induce cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Besides, lncRNA FEZF1‐AS1 could maintain the stability of BZW2 mRNA by interacting IGF2BP1. Moreover, BZW2 silence also downregulated the proliferation but enhanced apoptosis of MM cells, while BZW2 overexpression had an opposite role, which dramatically reversed the regulatory roles of lncRNA FEZF1‐AS1. Altogether, lncRNA FEZF1‐AS1 facilitated MM development by regulating IGF2BP1/BZW2 signaling, suggesting that lncRNA FEZF1‐AS1 might be a candidate for MM treatment.