miR-375 mediated acquired chemo-resistance in cervical cancer by facilitating EMT

Acquired chemo-resistance is one of the key causal factors in cancer death. Emerging evidences suggest that miRNA and epithelial-mesenchymal transition play critical roles in the chemo-resistance in cancers. Here, we showed the association of paclitaxel-resistance with miR-375 over-expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition inducement in cervical cancer. Using different cervical cancer cell models, we found that paclitaxel transiently induced up-regulation of miR-375 expression, proliferation inhibition, transition from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype, and consequently impaired paclitaxel sensitivity. Forced over-expression of miR-375 may suppress Ecadherin expression by a directly targeting pathway, which led to paclitaxel resistance. Contrarily, re-expression of Ecadherin partly reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype and miR-375 induced paclitaxel-resistance. Our findings suggest that paclitaxel-induced miR-375 over-expression facilitates epithelial-mesenchymal transition process via directly targeting Ecadherin, proliferation inhibition, and consequently results in chemo-resistance in cervical cancer cells. A reversion of miR-375 or Ecadherin expression may be a novel therapeutic approach for overcoming chemo-resistance in cervical cancer.