MicroRNA-23b regulates nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting E-cadherin

MicroRNA-23b (miR-23b) is important in tumor proliferation and metastasis. In this study, it was suggested that the levels of miR-23b were increased in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues. The present study aimed to explore the role of miR‑23b upregulation in NPC. Functional studies demonstrated that inhibition of miR‑23b could significantly suppress NPC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. An in vitro reporter assay suggested that E‑cadherin is a direct target gene of miR‑23b. Furthermore, the expression of miR‑23b in NPC tissues was inversely correlated with that of E‑cadherin. These findings provide evidence that miR‑23b is key in promoting NPC cell proliferation, migration and invasion through targeting E‑cadherin, and strongly suggests that an exogenous miR‑23b inhibitor may have therapeutic value in treating NPC.