lncSLERT promotes liver metastasis in colorectal cancer by down-regulating HUNK expression via RBM15-mediated m6A modification

Metastasis constitutes a hallmark of cancer and serves as the principal cause of cancer-related mortality. Nevertheless, the mechanism of liver metastasis in CRC remains incompletely clarified. This study investigates the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SLERT and its critical role in promoting liver metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) by downregulating HUNK expression. We found that SLERT was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues, correlating with poorer survival outcomes. Functional assays revealed that silencing SLERT inhibited CRC cell migration and invasion, while its overexpression promoted these metastatic behaviors. Mechanistic analysis showed that SLERT interacts with the RNA-binding protein RBM15, impairing its ability to stabilize HUNK mRNA, leading to decreased HUNK levels and increased metastatic potential. The cytoplasmic localization of SLERT indicates its active role in regulating gene expression within the tumor microenvironment. Collectively, these results suggest that SLERT serves as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target, indicating that targeting SLERT or restoring HUNK expression could provide novel strategies to combat liver metastasis in CRC and improve patient prognosis.