Abstract
BackgroundRecent studies have indicated the possible function of miR-217 in tumorigenesis. However, the roles of miR-217 in colorectal cancer (CRC) are still largely unknown.MethodsWe examined the expression of miR-217 and AEG-1 in 50 CRC tissues and the corresponding noncancerous tissues by qRT-PCR. The clinical significance of miR-217 was analyzed. CRC cell lines with miR-217 upregulation and AEG-1 silencing were established and the effects on tumor growth in vitro and in vivo were assessed. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were also performed to investigate the interaction between miR-217 and AEG-1.ResultsOur data demonstrated that miR-217 was significantly downregulated in 50 pairs of colorectal cancer tissues. MiR-217 expression levels were closely correlated with tumor differentiation. Moreover, decreased miR-217 expression was also associated with shorter overall survival of CRC patients. MiR-217 overexpression significantly inhibited proliferation, colony formation and invasiveness of CRC cells by promoting apoptosis and G0/G1 phase arrest. Interestingly, ectopic miR-217 expression decreased AEG-1 expression and repressed luciferase reporter activity associated with the AEG-1 3′-untranslated region (UTR). AEG-1 silencing resulted in similar biological behavior changes to those associated with miR-217 overexpression. Finally, in a nude mouse xenografted tumor model, miR-217 overexpression significantly suppressed CRC cell growth.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that miR-217 has considerable value as a prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in CRC.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1438-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Recent studies have indicated the possible function of miR-217 in tumorigenesis
Clinicopathologic significance of miR-217 in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that miR-217 expression was significantly decreased in CRC tissue samples compared with the corresponding colorectal normal (CRN) tissue samples (Fig. 1a)
These results demonstrate that lower miR-217 expression levels indicate poorer prognosis in CRC patients
Summary
Recent studies have indicated the possible function of miR-217 in tumorigenesis. The roles of miR-217 in colorectal cancer (CRC) are still largely unknown. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths globally, accounting for approximately 1.2 million new cases and 600,000 deaths each year [1]. Recent evidence suggests that miRNAs are often aberrantly expressed in various cancers, and are correlated with prognosis and therapeutic outcomes in patients. In CRC, a number of miRNAs have been identified as regulators of cell proliferation and invasion, including miR-200a [5], miR-214 [6] and miR-221 [7].
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