Decreased miR-204 in H. pylori-associated gastric cancer promotes cancer cell proliferation and invasion by targeting SOX4. PLoS One. 2014;9:e101457. [PMID: 24984017 PMCID: PMC4077842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101457]

MicroRNA-204-5p inhibits gastric cancer cell proliferation by downregulating USP47 and RAB22A

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of small noncoding RNAs that are strongly implicated in carcinogenesis. However, the potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic roles of the majority of miRNAs in the pathological processes of tumorigenesis remain largely unknown. Our and others' data revealed that miR-204-5p was significantly downregulated in gastrointestinal tumor tissues compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues. The downregulation of miR-204-5p was confirmed in our gastric cancer (GC) cohort, and we showed that ectopic expression of miR-204-5p inhibited, whereas silencing miR-204-5p expression promoted GC cell proliferation in vitro. Subsequent mechanistic investigations identified that USP47 and RAB22A are direct functional targets of miR-204-5p in GC. Silencing the expression of USP47 and RAB22A using siRNA phenocopied the proliferation-inhibiting function of miR-204-5p in GC cells. Our results uncovered that miR-204-5p acts as a tumor suppressor in GC through inhibiting USP47 and RAB22A.

MiR-338 suppresses the growth and metastasis of OSCC cells by targeting NRP1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that have been suggested to play an essential role in tumorigenesis. Reduced expression of miR-338 has been reported in several types of cancers; however, the role of miR-338 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-338 was dramatically downregulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-338 significantly inhibited proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells. In addition, neuropilin1 (NRP1) was identified as a target of miR-338 in OSCC cells and inversely correlated with miR-338 in OSCC tissues. Furthermore, restoration of NRP1 attenuated the tumor-suppressive effects of miR-338. Taken together, miR-338 might inhibit growth and metastasis of OSCC cells by targeting NRP1.