miR-1226-3p Promotes Sorafenib Sensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Downregulation of DUSP4 Expression

Long Noncoding RNA GUSBP11 Knockdown Alleviates Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma via Regulating miR-1226-3p/TM9SF4 Axis

Purpose: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been confirmed related to the occurrence and progress of multiple cancers, including cervical cancer nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study focused on assessing GUSBP11 effects on NPC progression and exploring possible mechanisms. Materials and Methods: RT-qPCR was conducted for assessing GUSBP11 levels within NPC tissues and cells. CCK-8, colony formation, and Transwell were adopted for examining GUSBP11 impacts on NPC cell proliferation and cell metastasis. RT-qPCR analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were conducted for judging the expression interrelation of GUSBP11 and its potential target miR-1226-3p. The same methods were carried out for verifying the inhibiting influences of miR-1226-3p upregulation and its potential target TM9SF4. Results: GUSBP11 levels were upregulated within NPC tissues and cells. GUSBP11 downregulation repressed NPC cell proliferation and cell metastasis. In addition, GUSBP11 targeted and negatively regulated miR-1226-3p. Furthermore, miR-1226-3p targeted TM9SF4 and mediated GUSBP11's impacts on TM9SF4 levels. At last, the authors proved the critical role of the GUSBP11/miR-1226-3p/TM9SF4 axis in regulating NPC progression. Conclusion: These findings indicate that downregulation of GUSBP11 alleviates NPC development by regulating the miR-1226-3p/TM9SF4 axis.

Dual specific phosphatase 4 suppresses ferroptosis and enhances sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma

AIMS

This investigation aims to elucidate the mechanism underlying sorafenib-induced ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

The role of dual specificity phosphatase 4 (DUSP4) in sorafenib-treated HCC was investigated using comprehensive assessments both in vitro and in vivo, including Western blotting, qRT-PCR, cell viability assay, lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, immunohistochemistry, and xenograft tumor mouse model. Additionally, label-free quantitative proteomics was employed to identify potential proteins associated with DUSP4.

RESULTS

Our study revealed that suppression of DUSP4 expression heightens the susceptibility of HCC cells to ferroptosis inducers, specifically sorafenib and erastin, in both in vitro and in vivo settings. Furthermore, we identified DUSP4-mediated regulation of key ferroptosis-related markers, such as ferritin light chain (FTL) and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1). Notably, label-free quantitative proteomics unveiled the phosphorylation of threonine residue T148 on YTH Domain Containing 1 (YTHDC1) by DUSP4. Further investigations unraveled that YTHDC1, functioning as an mRNA nuclear export regulator, is a direct target of DUSP4, orchestrating the subcellular localization of FTL and FTH1 mRNAs. Significantly, our study highlights a strong correlation between elevated DUSP4 expression and sorafenib resistance in HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings introduce DUSP4 as a negative regulator of sorafenib-induced ferroptosis. This discovery opens new avenues for the development of ferroptosis-based therapeutic strategies tailored for HCC treatment.

Sorafenib Resistance Contributed by IL7 and MAL2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Can Be Overcome by Autophagy-Inducing Stapled Peptides

Drug resistance poses a great challenge in systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with resistance to anti-cancer drugs, such as Sorafenib, remain unclear. In this study, we use transposon insertional mutagenesis to generate Sorafenib-resistant HCC cell lines in order to identify potential drug resistant causative genes. Interleukin 7 (IL7) and mal, T cell differentiation protein 2 (MAL2) were identified as candidate genes that promote survival by activating JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Sorafenib-resistant cells exhibited higher clonogenic survival and lower drug sensitivity due to IL7 and MAL2 upregulation. Higher anti-apoptotic effect, clonogenic survival and increased PI3K/AKT/STAT3 activities were observed in IL7 and MAL2 co-overexpressing cells compared with controls or cells overexpressing IL7 or MAL2 individually. Given the critical role of MAL2 in endocytosis, we propose that MAL2 might facilitate the endocytic trafficking of IL7 and its cognate receptors to the plasma membrane, which leads to upregulated JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways and Sorafenib resistance. Additionally, our previous studies showed that an autophagy-inducing stapled peptide promoted the endolysosomal degradation of c-MET oncogene and overcame adaptive Sorafenib resistance in c-MET+ HCC cells. In this study, we demonstrate that these stapled peptides readily induced autophagy and inhibited the proliferation of both wild-type and Sorafenib-resistant HCC cells co-overexpressing both IL7 and MAL2. Furthermore, these peptides showed synergistic cytotoxicity with Sorafenib in drug-resistant HCC cells co-overexpressing both IL7 and MAL2. Our studies suggest that targeting autophagy may be a novel strategy to overcome IL7/MAL2-mediated Sorafenib resistance in HCC.

Silencing of long non-coding RNA TUC338 inhibits the malignant phenotype of nasopharyngeal cancer cells via modulating the miR-1226-3p/FGF2 axis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been suggested as essential regulators in the cancer progression. LncRNA TUC338 was found to promote the malignancy of various cancers, however, the involvement of TUC338 in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) has not been well characterized. Here, our results found the significant overexpression of TUC338 in NPC tissues. Higher level of TUC338 was also observed in NPC cells. Interestingly, NPC patients harboring overexpressed TUC338 have worse prognosis. Functional study indicated that down-regulated TUC338 remarkably suppressed the NPC cell proliferation and cell migration. Notably, depletion of TUC338 significantly inhibited the in vivo tumor growth. Mechanistically, TUC338 acted as molecular sponge of miR-1226-3p and attenuated the negative regulation of miR-1226-3p on the expression of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2). Down-regulation of TUC338 inhibited FGF2 expression in NPC cells and tumor tissues. Overexpression of FGF2 attenuated the suppressed NPC proliferation upon the depletion of TUC338. Our results demonstrated the novel function of TUC338/miR-1226-3p/FGF2 axis in NPC progression, suggesting the potential diagnosis and therapeutics significance of TUC338 in NPC.

Genome-Wide CRISPR/Cas9 Library Screening Identified that DUSP4 Deficiency Induces Lenvatinib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Lenvatinib is in a first-line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, drug resistance is one of the principal obstacles for treatment failure. The molecular mechanism of Lenvatinib resistance has not been well investigated.

Materials and methods: A genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screening system was established and bioinformatic analysis was used to identify critical genes associated with Lenvatinib resistance. Cell proliferation assays, colony formation assays and cell migration assays were performed to investigate the effect of drug resistance associated genes, particularly DUSP4, on cancer cell malignant behavior during Lenvatinib treatment. In vivo experiments were conducted by using a xenograft mouse model.

Results: We identified six genes that were associated with Lenvatinib resistance in HCC, including DUSP4, CCBL1, DHDH, CNTN2, NOS3 and TNF. DUSP4 was found to be significantly decreased at the mRNA and protein levels in Lenvatinib resistant HCC cells. DUSP4 knockout enhanced HCC cell survival, cell proliferation and migration during Lenvatinib treatment in vitro and in vivo, accompanied by regulation of p-ERK and p-MEK levels. This finding implied that DUSP4 deficiency induced Lenvatinib resistance. Interestingly, DUSP4 deficiency induced Lenvatinib resistance was abrogated by the MEK inhibitor Selumetinib, implying that MEK phosphorylation and DUSP4-inhibition dependent ERK activation were required for drug resistance. Finally, we found that DUSP4 deficiency was associated with HCC prognosis and response to Lenvatinib based on clinical data.

Conclusions: DUSP4 deficiency mediates Lenvatinib resistance by activating MAPK/ERK signaling and combination therapy using Lenvatinib and MEK inhibitors may be a promising therapeutic strategy for overcoming Lenvatinib resistance.

Circulating microRNAs Suggest Networks Associated with Biological Functions in Aggressive Refractory Type 2 Celiac Disease

Despite following a gluten-free diet, which is currently the only effective therapy for celiac disease, about 5% of patients can develop serious complications, which in the case of refractory type 2 could evolve towards intestinal lymphoma. In this study, we have identified a set of 15 microRNAs in serum discriminating between the two types of refractory disease. Upregulated miR-770-5p, miR-181b-2-3p, miR-1193, and miR-1226-3p could be useful for the better stratification of patients and the monitoring of disease development, while miR-490-3p was found to be dysregulated in patients with refractory type 1. Finally, by using bioinformatic tools applied to the analysis of the targets of dysregulated microRNAs, we have completed a more precise assessment of their functions. These mainly include the pathway of response to Transforming Growth Factor β cell-cell signaling by Wnt; epigenetic regulation, especially novel networks associated with transcriptional and post-transcriptional alterations; and the well-known inflammatory profiles.

miRNAs inspirations in hepatocellular carcinoma: Detrimental and favorable aspects of key performers

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC initiation, progression, and therapy failure are all influenced by various variables, including microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are short non-coding RNA sequences that modulate target mRNA expression by deteriorating or repressing translation. miRNAs play an imperative role in HCC pathogenesis by triggering the induction of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their proliferation, while also delaying apoptosis, sustaining the cell cycle, and inspiring angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Additionally, miRNAs modulate crucial HCC-related molecular pathways such as the p53 pathway, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, VEGFR2, and PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway. Consequently, the goal of this review was to give an up-to-date overview of oncogenic and tumor suppressor (TS) miRNAs, as well as their potential significance in HCC pathogenesis and treatment responses, highlighting their underpinning molecular pathways in HCC initiation and progression. Similarly, the biological importance and clinical application of miRNAs in HCC are summarized.

Dual-specificity phosphatases: therapeutic targets in cancer therapy resistance

PURPOSE

Therapy resistance is the principal obstacle to achieving cures in cancer patients and its successful tackling requires a deep understanding of the resistance mediators. Increasing evidence indicates that tumor phosphatases are novel and druggable targets in translational oncology and their modulation may hinder tumor growth and motility and potentiate therapeutic sensitivity in various neoplasms via regulation of various signal transduction pathways. Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) are key players of cell growth, survival and death and have essential roles in tumor initiation, malignant progression and therapy resistance through regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway. In this review, different aspects of DUSPs are discussed.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature review was performed using various websites including PubMed.

RESULTS

We provide mechanistic insights into the roles of well-known DUSPs in resistance to a wide range of cancer therapeutic approaches including chemotherapy, radiation and molecular targeted therapy in human malignancies. Moreover, we discuss the development of DUSP modulators, with a focus on DUSP1 and 6 inhibitors. Ultimately, the preclinical investigations of small molecule inhibitors of DUSP1 and 6 are outlined.

CONCLUSION

Emerging evidence indicates that the DUSP family is aberrantly expressed in human malignancies and plays critical roles in determining sensitivity to a wide range of cancer therapeutic strategies through regulation of the MAPK signaling pathways. Consequently, targeting DUSPs and their downstream molecules can pave the way for more effective cancer therapies.

Non-coding RNAs as biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma-A systematic review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy in the world and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death, and its incidence is increasing globally. Despite significant advances in treatment strategies for HCC, the prognosis is still poor due to its high recurrence rate. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis of HCC and further develop new therapies to improve the prognosis and quality of life of HCC patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are small non-coding RNAs involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression that is abnormally expressed in cancer-associated genomic regions or vulnerable sites. More and more findings have shown that miRNAs are important regulatory factors of mRNA expression in HCC, and they are receiving more and more attention as a possible key biomarker of HCC. This review mainly summarizes the potential applied value on miRNAs as diagnostic, drug resistant, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers in the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of HCC. Also, we summarize the research value of long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and miRNAs network in HCC as novel biomarkers, aiming at providing some references for the therapy of HCC.

miR-142-5p regulates lipopolysaccharide-induced bovine epithelial cell proliferation and apoptosis via targeting BAG5

Bovine mastitis is a threat to the health of the dairy cow. MicroRNAs (miRs) serve an important role in the progression of bovine mastitis, regulating immune and defense responses. The present study aimed to investigate the possible effects and mechanisms of bovine mastitis underlying miR-142-5p and Bcl-2 associated athanogene 5 (BAG5) in in vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced models. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed to determine mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively. ELISAs were conducted to assess the levels of cytokines and an immunofluorescence assay was performed to determine the expression of BAG5. Cell Counting Kit-8, clone formation and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assays were conducted to determine cell viability and proliferation of bovine mammary epithelial MAC-T cells, respectively. Flow cytometry was performed to measure MAC-T cell cycle distribution and apoptosis, and a luciferase assay was conducted to verify whether BAG5 was a target of miR-142-5p. The results indicated that miR-142-5p was upregulated in MAC-T cells treated with LPS compared with the control group. miR-142-5p mimics transfection significantly activated the cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8, and significantly increased the expression levels of NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins in LPS-treated cells. The luciferase activity of MAC-T cells treated with miR-142-5p mimics and BAG5 3'untranslated region wild type decreased, compared with mutant type. By contrast, BAG5 overexpression significantly downregulated the levels of cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8, in LPS-treated cells. BAG5 overexpression significantly promoted cell proliferation and viability, decreased apoptosis, and regulated Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bcl-2 and Bax expression in LPS-treated MAC-T cells, which was significantly reversed by transfection with miR-142-5p mimics. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that miR-142-5p may promote the progression of bovine mastitis via targeting BAG5. Therefore, the present study provided the foundations for future investigations.

Loss of DUSP4 Expression as a Prognostic Biomarker in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Dual-specificity protein phosphatase 4 (DUSP4) is a negative regulator of mitogen-activated protein kinases. The prognostic impact of DUSP4 expression in renal cell carcinoma is not well studied. Therefore, we evaluated the clinicopathological implications of DUSP4 expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma by performing immunohistochemistry (IHC). The clinical outcome according to DUSP4 expression was evaluated through survival analyses, and the association between mRNA expression and prognosis was confirmed by online analysis (Kaplan-Meier plotter). Loss of DUSP4 expression was noted in most histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma. Loss of DUSP4 expression in clear cell renal cell carcinoma was significantly correlated with old age (p = 0.033), high histologic grade (p < 0.001), tumor necrosis (p < 0.001), and high pT category (p < 0.001). In survival analysis, loss of DUSP4 expression was associated with poor clinical outcomes in cancer-specific survival and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.010 and p = 0.007, respectively). Upon TCGA data analysis, patients with low DUSP4 mRNA expression showed a shorter overall survival (p = 0.023). These results suggest that loss of DUSP4 expression can be used as a potential biomarker for predicting clinical outcomes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients.

The expression and clinical significance of miR-1226 in patients with periodontitis

Background

miR-1226 has been reported to be dysregulated in periodontitis, implying its potential functional role, which needs to be validated. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical significance of miR-1226 in periodontitis.

Methods

Gingival crevicular fluid samples were collected from 50 healthy volunteers and 72 periodontitis patients. The expression of miR-1226 in collected samples was detected by RT-qPCR. The concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed by ELISA. The relationship of miR-1226 expression level with patients’ characteristics was evaluated by the χ² test and the Pearson correlation test.

Results

It was found that miR-1226 was downregulated in the gingival crevicular fluid of periodontitis patients compared with healthy volunteers. The downregulation of miR-1226 was negatively correlated with the pocket depth, attachment loss, plaque index, bleeding index, and MMP-8 concentration of patients. miR-1226 showed high sensitivity and specificity to discriminate periodontitis patients from healthy volunteers. Additionally, periodontitis patients had a relatively high concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which is correlated with miR-1226 expression negatively.

Conclusions

miR-1226 could be an indicator for the diagnosis of periodontitis and has the potential to predict the development and severity of periodontitis.

Splice and Dice: Intronic microRNAs, Splicing and Cancer

Introns span only a quarter of the human genome, yet they host around 60% of all known microRNAs. Emerging evidence indicates the adaptive advantage of microRNAs residing within introns is attributed to their complex co-regulation with transcription and alternative splicing of their host genes. Intronic microRNAs are often co-expressed with their host genes, thereby providing functional synergism or antagonism that is exploited or decoupled in cancer. Additionally, intronic microRNA biogenesis and the alternative splicing of host transcript are co-regulated and intertwined. The importance of intronic microRNAs is under-recognized in relation to the pathogenesis of cancer.

The Role of Non-Coding RNAs in the Sorafenib Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Sorafenib is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be a first-line chemotherapy agent for patients with advanced HCC. A portion of advanced HCC patients can benefit from the treatment with sorafenib, but many patients ultimately develop sorafenib resistance, leading to a poor prognosis. The molecular mechanisms of sorafenib resistance are sophisticated and indefinite. Notably, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which include long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are critically participated in the occurrence and progression of tumors. Moreover, growing evidence has suggested that ncRNAs are crucial regulators in the development of resistance to sorafenib. Herein, we integrally and systematically summarized the molecular mechanisms and vital role of ncRNAs impact sorafenib resistance of HCC, and ultimately explored the potential clinical administrations of ncRNAs as new prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC.

MicroRNA-1226-3p has a tumor-promoting role in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor that commonly occurs in young individuals. It accounts for 10% of solid tumors in those who are 15–19 years old. MicroRNA (miRNA/miR) dysregulation serves a crucial role in the molecular mechanism of osteosarcoma. The present study reported a novel miRNA (miR-1226-3p) and investigated its function in osteosarcoma. miR-1226-3p mimics and miR-1226-3p antisense oligonucleotides were transfected into human osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cells to alter miR-1226-3 expression, while the hFOB 1.19 cell line was used as the control. The apoptosis rate was analyzed using a dead cell apoptosis kit. TNF receptor-associated factor 3 (TRAF3) protein expression was assayed by western blotting. The results of bioinformatics and clinical specimen analyses revealed that higher expression levels of miR-1226-3p were associated with lower survival rates. Additionally, the results of experiments on cultured cells revealed that miR-1226-3p promoted the proliferation of SaOS-2 cells, while miR-1226-3p inhibition decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. Furthermore, it was revealed that miR-1226-3p targeted TRAF3 in SaOS-2 cells. In conclusion, the present study suggested that miR-1226-3p promoted the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells.

Single-cell RNA-seq reveals dynamic change in tumor microenvironment during pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma malignant progression

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is most aggressive among all gastrointestinal tumors. The complex intra-tumor heterogeneity and special tumor microenvironment in PDAC bring great challenges for developing effective treatment strategies. We aimed to delineate dynamic changes of tumor microenvironment components during PDAC malignant progression utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing.

Methods

A total of 11 samples (4 PDAC I, 4 PDAC II, 3 PDAC III) were used to construct expression matrix. After identifying distinct cell clusters, subcluster analysis for each cluster was performed. New cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) subset was validated by weighted gene co-expression network analysis, RNA in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence.

Findings

We found that ductal cells were not dominant component while tumor infiltrating immune cells and pancreatic stellate cells gradually accumulated during tumor development. We defined several new Treg and exhausted T cell signature genes, including DUSP4, FANK1 and LAIR2. The analysis of TCGA datasets showed that patients with high expression of DUSP4 had significantly worse prognosis. In addition, we identified a new CAFs subset (complement-secreting CAFs, csCAFs), which specifically expresses complement system components, and constructed csCAFs-related module by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. The csCAFs were located in the tissue stroma adjacent to malignant ductal cells only in early PDAC.

Interpretation

We systematically explored PDAC heterogeneity and identified csCAFs as a new CAFs subset special to PDAC, which may be valuable for understanding the crosstalk inside tumor.

Funding

This study was supported by The Natural Science Foundation of China (NO.81572339, 81672353, 81871954) and the Youth Clinical Research Project of Peking University First Hospital (2018CR28).

miR-126-3p contributes to sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma via downregulating SPRED1

Background

Sorafenib can prolong the survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, drug resistance remains the main obstacle to improving its efficiency. This study aimed to explore the likely molecular mechanism of sorafenib resistance.

Methods

Differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) related to sorafenib response were analyzed with the Limma package in R software. The expression levels of miR-126-3p and sprouty-related EVH1 domain-containing protein 1 (SPRED1) in HCC cells were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell viability and proliferation were detected with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU proliferation, and clone formation assays. Transwell assays were performed to measure cell migration and invasion. TargetScan, MicroRNA Target Prediction Database (miRDB), and StarBase v2.0 were used to predict the targets of miR-126-3p. SPRED1 was confirmed as a target gene of miR-126-3p by dual-luciferase reporter assay and Western blotting. Finally, the in vivo anti-tumor effect of LV-miR-126-3p inhibitor combined with sorafenib was evaluated via subcutaneous tumor models.

Results

HCC cells with high expression of miR-126-3p exhibited increased resistance to sorafenib. The results of bioinformatics analysis and the dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-126-3p directly targeted SPRED1. The sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib was markedly enhanced by SPRED1 upregulation. Gain- and loss-of function experiments verified that miR-126-3p induced sorafenib resistance in HCC through downregulating SPRED1. Furthermore, the inhibition of miR-126-3p markedly increased the effectiveness of sorafenib against HCC in vivo. Mechanistically, our results suggested that miR-126-3p promoted sorafenib resistance via targeting SPRED1 and activating the ERK signaling pathway.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that regulating the miR-126-3p/SPRED1 axis might be a promising strategy for enhancing the antitumor effect of sorafenib in the treatment of HCC.

MiR-524-5p Suppresses Migration, Invasion, and EMT Progression in Breast Cancer Cells Through Targeting FSTL1

Background: The effects of miR-524-5p on breast cancer (BC) have not been investigated, though studies show that miR-524-5p has an anticancer function. Thus, this study investigated the effects of miR-524-5p on BC cells and its potential molecular mechanism. Materials and Methods: The expression of miR-524-5p from the collected BC samples was determined. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was performed to examine the effect of miR-524-5p on BC cells viability. The target for miR-524-5p was predicted by bioinformatics and further verified by luciferase assay. Wound healing assay and transwell assay were performed to determine cell migration and invasion of BC cells. The expressions of Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) and related proteins in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were detected by Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: MiR-524-5p was low-expressed in BC samples, and upregulation of miR-524-5p suppressed BC cell viability, migration, and invasion. FSTL1 was predicted as a target for miR-524-5p. In addition, overexpressed FSTL1 effectively abolished the effect of miR-524-5p on inhibiting FSTL1 expression, and reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-524-5p on the migration, invasion of BC cells as well as the effect of miR-524-5p on regulating the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that miR-524-5p targeting FSTL1 adversely affects the progression of migration, invasion, and EMT of BC cells, thus, miR-524-5p is possibly a target for BC treatment.