A positive feedback regulatory loop involving the lncRNA PVT1 and HIF-1 alpha in pancreatic cancer

Extreme hypoxia is among the most prominent pathogenic features of pancreatic cancer (PC). Both the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) and hypoxic inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) are highly expressed in PC patients and play a crucial role in disease progression. Reciprocal regulation involving PVT1 and HIF-1 alpha in PC, however, is poorly understood. Here, we report that PVT1 binds to the HIF-1 alpha promoter and activates its transcription. In addition, we found that PVT1 could bind to HIF-1 alpha and increases HIF-1 alpha post-translationally. Our findings suggest that the PVT1-HIF-1 alpha positive feedback loop is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of PC.