HOXC cluster antisense RNA 3 (HOXC-AS3) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that plays a crucial role in various tumors; nevertheless, its role in glioma and its mechanism have not been completely elucidated. In this research, we discovered that HOXC-AS3 was over-expression in glioma cells and tissues and was associated with prognosis. Next, we determined that HOXC-AS3 targeted miR-216 as a sponge and that the F11 receptor (F11R) was the target of miR-216 by online databases analysis, qRT–PCR, and luciferase reporter assay. In addition, the rescue experiments confirmed that HOXC-AS3 regulated the expression of F11R by competitively binding miR-216 and functioning as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). The intracranial glioblastoma mouse model suggested that HOXC-AS3 could promote glioma malignant progression in vivo. In summary, our study shows that the HOXC-AS3/miR-216/F11R axis plays an important role in the malignant progression of glioma, and may provide new ideas for the treatment of glioma.

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