Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent subtype of primary liver cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Previous studies have reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) serve key roles in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC by regulating gene expression. The present study investigated the expression patterns, biological roles and underlying mechanisms of miRNA-708 (miR-708) in HCC. The expression levels of miR-708 in HCC tissue samples and cell lines were examined. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays were used to evaluate the effect of miR-708 on HCC cells. In addition, bioinformatic and western blotting analyses, and dual luciferase reporter assays were performed to investigate the direct gene target of miR-708. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-708 expression was significantly decreased in HCC tissue samples and cell lines. In addition, the expression level of miR-708 was associated with increased HCC tumour stage. Furthermore, ectopic expression of miR-708 suppressed HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The results of the present study also indicated that miR-708 targets SMAD family member 3 directly in vitro. The results of the present study indicated that miR-708 may be a novel target for future HCC therapy.
Highlights
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent subtype of primary liver cancer, accounting for between 85 and 90% of liver cancer cases, is currently the third leading cause of cancer‐associated mortality worldwide [1]
MiR‐708 was significantly decreased in the HCC cell lines compared with the wild‐type cell line (HepG2, P= 0.012; SMMC‐7721, P= 0.017). These results suggest that miR‐708 is involved in the regulation of HCC malignancy
Previous studies have indicated that 1/2 of miRNAs are located in the fragile or oncogene‐associated regions of chromosomes, suggesting that abnormally expressed miRNAs are associated with carcinogenesis and cancer progression [27]. miRNAs regulate gene expression at the post‐transcriptional level via sequence‐specific binding to the 3' untranslated regions (3'‐UTRs) of target mRNAs [28]
Summary
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent subtype of primary liver cancer, accounting for between 85 and 90% of liver cancer cases, is currently the third leading cause of cancer‐associated mortality worldwide [1]. In the USA, 35,660 new HCC cases and 24,550 resulting mortalities were recorded in 2015 [2]. HCC is prevalent in China and the country accounts An improved understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of HCC initiation and progression may provide novel effective therapeutic targets for the treatment of HCC, and improve prognosis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
