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Jun Dai, 1 Rujia Wei, 2 Peihai Zhang, 3 Peishu Liu 1 1Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong 252004, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao), Qingdao, Shandong 266035, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jun DaiDepartment of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, 107 Wenhua West Road, Jinan, Shandong 250012, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail daijun_qilu@163.comPeihai ZhangDepartment of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao), 758 Hefei Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266035, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail doctorzhang_ph@163.comPurpose: A long noncoding RNA called ZFPM2 antisense RNA 1 (ZFPM2-AS1) has been verified as a key modulator in multiple human cancer types. Nonetheless, the expression and functions of ZFPM2-AS1 in cervical cancer remain poorly understood. Therefore, our purpose was to characterize the expression pattern, clinical value, and detailed roles of ZFPM2-AS1 in cervical cancer.Methods: Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR was carried out to measure ZFPM2-AS1 expression in cervical cancer. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, Transwell migration and invasion assays, and a tumor xenograft experiment were conducted to determine the influence of ZFPM2-AS1 on cervical cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in vitro and on tumor growth in vivo, respectively.Results: ZFPM2-AS1 was found to be aberrantly upregulated in cervical cancer, and its upregulation was associated with unfavorable values of clinical parameters. A ZFPM2-AS1 knockdown significantly reduced cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and increased apoptosis in vitro. The ZFPM2-AS1 knockdown decelerated tumor growth of cervical cancer cells in vivo. Molecular investigation indicated that ZFPM2-AS1 acts as a molecular sponge of microRNA-511-3p (miR-511-3p) in cervical cancer cells. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) mRNA was validated as a direct target of miR-511-3p in cervical cancer, and its expression was positively modulated by ZFPM2-AS1. The effects of the ZFPM2-AS1 knockdown on malignant characteristics of cervical cancer cells were greatly attenuated by miR-511-3p inhibition.Conclusion: ZFPM2-AS1 promotes cervical cancer progression through upregulation of miR-511-3p–FGFR2 axis output, thereby pointing to possible diagnostics and therapeutics based on the ZFPM2-AS1–miR-511-3p–FGFR2 pathway.Keywords: ZFPM2 antisense RNA 1, cervical cancer therapy, fibroblast growth factor receptor 2, microRNA-511-3p