miR-17 inhibits ovarian cancer cell peritoneal metastasis by targeting ITGA5 and ITGB1

An essential step in the peritoneal spread of ovarian cancer is the adhesion and implantation of tumor cells to the mesothelium layer. Integrin α5 and β1 have been reported to mediate the initial adhesion process and to correlate with disease survival in ovarian cancer. However, the molecular mechanism of integrin α5β1 dysregulation in tumorigenesis and metastasis remained enigmatic. In the present study, using the US NCI60 database, we identified miR-17 as a candidate regulator targeting both integrin α5 and β1. The level of miR-17 was evidently inversely correlated with that of α5 and β1 in ovarian cancer cell lines. Specifically, miR-17 bound directly to the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of α5 and β1 and suppressed their expression. Forced expression of miR-17 led to markedly diminished adhesion and invasion of ovarian cancer cells in vitro, and notably reduced metastatic nodules inside the peritoneal cavity in in vivo SKOV3 xenografts model. Moreover, ectopic expression of miR-17 in ovarian cancer cells resulted in repressed ILK phosphorylation as well as decreased production of active matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2). Our results indicated that miR-17 hampered ovarian cancer peritoneal propagation by targeting integrin α5 and β1. These findings supported the utility of miR-17/α5β1 to be considered as valuable marker for metastatic potential of ovarian cancer cells, or a therapeutic target in ovarian cancer treatment.