近年来，越来越多的证据表明长链非编码RNAs（long noncoding RNAs, lncRNAs）在肿瘤中发挥重要的调控作用。然而，其在肝癌射频消融残余癌进展中的功能还有很多未知。通过裸鼠射频消融残余癌、肝癌细胞系模拟不全消融的特征非编码RNA表达谱及公共大数据分析，我们筛选并验证了一个新的lncRNA，ASB16-AS1。前期我们发现了ASB16-AS1与FOXP4之间的潜在靶向关系，同时FOXP4潜在靶标NDST2在肝癌中表达增高，三者在多个层面具有表达相关性。计算生物学分析进一步肯定了三者间的潜在调控机制。据此提出假说：ASB16-AS1可通过介导FOXP4调控NDST2等下游靶基因转录调控影响残余癌的进展。本项目拟在前期研究基础上，从分子、细胞、组织及动物水平分析总结ASB16-AS1/FOXP4信号轴对肝癌射频消融术预后判断价值、对残余癌进展的作用及其相关分子机制。

Recently, emerging evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important in cancers. However, the function of lncRNAs in residual liver tumor after insufficient radiofrequency ablation (RFA) remains largely unknown. By using transcriptional profiling of residual tumor after insufficient RFA, sub-lethal heat treated hepatoma carcinoma cells and publicly available expression profiling data, we screen and identify a novel lncRNA, ASB16-AS1. Previously, we verified the potential regulatory relationships between ASB16-AS1 and FOXP4, whereas FOXP4’s potential target gene NDST2 was overexpressed uniformly in liver cancer. ASB16-AS1, FOXP4 and NDST2 have expression correlation at multiple levels. In addition, bioinformatics analysis further confirmed the potential regulatory mechanism. Therefore, we hypothesize that ASB16-AS1 may mediate gene transcriptional regulation via targeting FOXP4 and thus, enhance the invasion and progression of residual liver tumor. The overall objectives are to investigate the clinical significance and relationships of ASB16-AS1/FOXP4 axis in liver cancer patients underwent RFA and the molecular mechanism of ASB16-AS1/FOXP4 on the invasion and progression of residual liver tumor.