miR-508-5p acts as an anti-oncogene by targeting MESDC1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer associated mortality. Accumulating evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) act as critical factors for tumor recurrence and metastasis. MiR-508-5p has been reported as a down-regulated miRNA in the primary gastric cancer tissues. However, the role of miR-508-5p on HCC has not been well elucidated. In this study, we observed that miR-508-5p was downregulated in HCC tissues when compared to the non-tumorous tissues. We then demonstrated that overexpression of miR-508-5p attenuated HepG2 cells proliferation and invasion and induced cell apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, our further investigations revealed that mesoderm development candidate 1 (MESDC1) is a potential target of miR-508-5p, as well as miR-508-5p overexpression downregulated MESDC1 expression. Overexpression of MESDC1 promoted HepG2 cells migration, invasion and proliferation in vitro. In addition, miR-508-5p markedly suppressed the tumor growth in xenograft model, while MESDC1 promoted the tumor growth in xenograft model. This study provides new insight into molecular mechanisms that miR-508-5p acts as a tumor suppressor by targeting MESDC1 in HCC progression.