miR-612 suppresses the invasive-metastatic cascade in hepatocellular carcinoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in tumor metastasis. In this study, we identified a set of 32 miRNAs involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. Among them, miR-612 was shown for the first time to have inhibitory effects on HCC proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis. AKT2 was verified to be one of the direct targets of miR-612, through which the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis were inhibited. The level of miR-612 in HCC patients was inversely associated with tumor size, stage, EMT, and metastasis. Of particular importance, miR-612 is involved in both the initial and final steps of the metastatic cascade, by suppressing local invasion and distant colonization. The pleiotropic roles of miR-612 in the HCC metastatic cascade suggest that it could be an effective target for both early and advanced HCC.