Apoptotic effects of AFAP1-AS1 silencing are probably attributed to the AFAP1-AS1 sponging function of miR-508-3p, which is supported by our dual-luciferase assay and RNA-expression analysis; miR-508-3p, previously shown to be downregulated in several cancers, including ovarian and gastric cancer [22,23], is a known modulator of apoptosis and cell proliferation. Here, AFAP1 is linked to gastric cancer.