MicroRNA-361-5p Inhibits Tumorigenesis and the EMT of HCC by Targeting Twist1. (18th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yin, Liang-Chun; Xiao, Gang; Zhou, Rui; Huang, Xiao-Ping; Li, Ning-Lei; Tan, Can-Liang; Xie, Feng-Jiao; Weng, Jun; Liu, Li-Xin
• Other Names: Gagat Maciej Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: BioMed research international. Volume 2020(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12-18
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; Life sciences -- Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1155/2020/8891876
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2314-6133

Abstract

Abstract : MicroRNA-361-5p (miR-361-5p) is a tumor suppressor miRNA that is dysregulated in several types of human cancer. However, the functional significance of miR-361-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study explored the biological function of miR-361-5p in regulating the progression of HCC and the underlying molecular mechanism. RT-qPCR analysis showed that miR-361-5p was downregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Functional analysis revealed that miR-361-5p acted as a tumor suppressor, inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines. Bioinformatics analyses identified Twist1 as a direct target of miR-361-5p, which was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assays, RT-qPCR, and western blotting. Rescue experiments indicated that Twist1 may mediate the tumor-suppressive effect of miR-361-5p in HCC cells, and this was supported by the effect of miR-361-5p on inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by targeting Twist1. This study is the first to suggest that miR-361-5p inhibits tumorigenesis and EMT in HCC by targeting Twist1. These findings are valuable for the diagnosis and clinical management of HCC.