ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression of MALAT 1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its biological function.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of MALAT1 in 5-8F, C666-1, CNE-1, CNE-2, HONE-1, 6-10B and NP69 cell lines. CNE-1 cells engineered with MALAT1 RNA interference (RNAi) and RNA activation (RNAa) techniques were examined for changes in cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis using CCK8 assay, colony formation assay, Transwell in vitro invasion assay and wound-healing assay ability.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MALAT1 was highly expressed in 5-8F cells with a high metastatic potential, and lowly expressed in normal nasopharyngeal epithelium cells. Overexpression of MALAT1 by RNAa suppressed the expression of E-cadherin, promoted the expression of vimentin and enhanced the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of CNE-1 cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MALAT1 can enhance the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of CNE-1 cells.</p>