Dysregulated SNORD93 promotes colorectal cancer progression

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Recently, mounting evidence has identified dysregulated snoRNAs active in cancer by influencing cell transformation and carcinogenesis, and meanwhile, SNORD93 is abnormally expressed and associated with poor prognosis in many cancers. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the function of SNORD93 in CRC. Methods The expression levels of SNORD93 were measured in CRC tissues and cells by qRT-PCR. Then, the biological significance of SNORD93 on proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis with gain function analyses was explored by CCK8, colony formation, wound healing, and flow cytometry. Additionally, The expression of related proteins was quantified through Western blotting. Result A significant downregulation of SNORD93 was identified in CRC tissues and cells. Simultaneously, downregulated SNORD93 was considerably associated with poor survival of CRC patients. Furthermore, the overexpression of SNORD93 suppressed CRC cell proliferation via inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, while it didn’t affect CRC cell migration. Conclusion SNORD93 functions as a significant tumor suppressor snoRNA in CRC.