Feng H, Hu X, Yan R, Jia X, Feng H, Zhang N, Chen X. MicroRNA-124 plays an inhibitory role in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells via targeting SNAI2, an immunotherapy determinant.
Heliyon 2024;
10:e24671. [PMID:
38317973 PMCID:
PMC10839798 DOI:
10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24671]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRs) play multiple roles during cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) progression. Previous studies suggest miR-124 could inhibit cancer development in CSCC.
METHODS
Obtained 63 pairs of CSCC and adjacent tissues for analysis. Cultured HaCaT and two CSCC cell lines (A431 and SCL-1) in DMEM (10 % FBS). Transfected cells using Lipofectamine 2000 with various miR-124 mimics, inhibitors, or Snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2) expression plasmid. Performed a series of assays, including real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot, CCK8, wound healing, transwell, and luciferase reporter gene assay, to examine the effects of miR-124 on CSCC cells.
RESULTS
An evident downregulation of miR-124 in CSCC tissues, which was related to advanced disease stage and nodal metastasis. Overexpressing miR-124 could reduce the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of CSCC cells. It was verified that miR-124 targets the SNAI2 in CSCC cells. Moreover, ectopic expression of SNAI2 rescued the suppressive effects on CSCC cells induced by miR-124 overexpression. Furthermore, miR-124 increased cell sensitivity to cisplatin. Besides, SNAI2 is a critical factor in the immune-related aspects of CSCC and its modulation may influence the response to immunotherapy.
CONCLUSION
We demonstrate that miR-124 inhibits CSCC progression through downregulating SNAI2, and thus it may be a molecular candidate for treating CSCC in the clinic.
Collapse