The results showed that the expression levels of lnc-ATB (p < 0.001) and CCAT1 (p = 0.024), but not OCC-1 (p = 0.24), were significantly upregulated in the CRC compared with the healthy group.
Furthermore, this effect of FSTL1 in promoting CRC progression was actualised via activating focal adhesions signalling pathway and regulating cytoskeleton rearrangement.
Combinatory target prediction identified tenascin C as a predicted target of miR-198, one of the top 10 miRNAs downregulated in tumour stroma of CRCs with synchronous liver metastasis.
Up-regulation of the known OCC-1 variant (assigned as OCC-1A/B) was limited to CRC, and its overexpression increased survival of CRC-originated SW480 cells (Wnt<sup>+</sup>), while resulting in apoptosis of Wnt-suppressed SW480 cells or HeLa cells (Wnt<sup>-</sup>) detected by PI staining.