Biomarker Potential of LINC00313 in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Correlation with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Immune Cell Infiltration

Although LINC00313 is dysregulated in several tumors, its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of LINC00313 in HNSC. The clinical information and LINC00313 expression data of HNSC were mined from the TCGA/GEO/cbioportal database. The correlation between LINC00313 expression and immune cell infiltration in HNSC tumors was analyzed by bioinformatics and gene enrichment analysis was performed. LINC00313 was silenced in HNSC cell lines, and changes at the genetic and molecular levels were verified through qRT-PCR and Western blotting. The researchers also validated its functional phenotype through a series of cell function experiments. The results showed that overexpression and copy number variation of LINC00313 in HNSC were associated with poorer prognosis. In addition, LINC00313 expression was significantly negatively correlated with immune cell infiltration. Silencing of LINC00313 in HNSC cells significantly reduced the rate of cell migration. LINC00313 may affect the progression of HNSC by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In conclusion, LINC00313 is a potential biomarker of HNSC prognosis and a potential target for immunotherapy.