Abstract
Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), the most prevalent form of cervical cancer, is often diagnosed at advanced stages with limited treatment efficacy. Cell migration and invasion are critical steps, yet its molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study investigates the role of the long non‑coding RNA DLEU2 in CSCC migration and invasion. RNA sequencing of 7 invasive CSCC and 7 normal cervical tissues revealed significant upregulation of DLEU2 in tumors, which correlated with poor prognosis in advanced‑stage patients. Functionally, DLEU2 knockdown suppressed, while its overexpression promoted, cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. Mechanistically, we identified a DLEU2/E2F1 regulatory axis: E2F1 transcriptionally activates DLEU2, and DLEU2 in turn interacts with and may regulate E2F1 at transcription and post‑transcriptional level. Ectopic overexpression of E2F1 rescued the migratory and invasive impairments induced by DLEU2 silencing. Furthermore, DLEU2 regulated key migration and invasion‑related genes, including SNAI2 and MMP9. Together, our findings suggest an association between DLEU2 and E2F1 that may contribute to pro-migratory and pro-invasive phenotypes in CSCC, potentially offering this axis as a candidate therapeutic target.
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This study was sponsored by Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing, China (Grant number: CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX0062 and CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX0264) and Chongqing Jiulongpo District Science and Technology Plan Project (Science and Health Joint) (2024-04-030-Y).
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This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (Approval No. 2023-78) and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (1964) and its later amendments, as well as relevant institutional and international ethical guidelines. No animal experiments were performed. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants or their legal guardians prior to inclusion in the study, including for the use of human tissue samples.
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He, M., Huang, S., Wang, M. et al. A DLEU2/E2F1 regulatory axis promotes migration and invasion phenotypes in cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-51939-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-51939-4
