MiR-30a Serves as a Tumor Suppressor for Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Downregulating ADAMTS14.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a very common malignancy in the world, but the effect of therapies on advanced HCC has not improved for decades. The present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-30a in the tumorigenesis of HCC. The expression of miR-30a and ADAMTS14 in HCC tissues were determined. Luciferase reporter gene detection confirmed the correlation between miR-30a and ADAMTS14. Cell viability and apoptosis rate were examined using an MTT assay and flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion ability were detected by a transwell assay. The protein expression of ADAMTS14, β-catenin, GSK-3β, and p-GSK-3β were determined using western blotting. miR-30a was negatively correlated with the expression of ADAMTS14 in HCC tissues. Further research confirmed that ADAMTS14 is the direct target of miR-30a. In addition, the expression of ADAMTS14, cell viability and apoptosis were suppressed by miR-30a overexpression, while knockdown of miR-30a led to the opposite result. miR-30a also inhibits the phosphorylation of GSK-3β and β-catenin, without changing the total GSK-3β level. miR-30a acts as a tumor suppressor in the progression of HCC and can be used as a biomarker for early prediction and diagnosis.