MiR-889 promotes cell growth in human non-small cell lung cancer by regulating KLF9

Currently, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still the most common malignancy worldwide. Although miR-889 has been reported to play an important role in various malignancies, the physiological function of miR-889 in NSCLC remains unknown. This paper places emphasis on the influence of miR-889 on the development and progression of non-small cell lung cancer. To detect the expression level of miR-889 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay and In Situ Hybridization (ISH) were adopted in this study. Cell proliferation and colony forming ability were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Furthermore, transwell experiments were conducted to determine the influence of miR-889 on migration. KLF9 expression was evaluated by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. First, miR-889 expression was increased in the cancer tissues of non-small cell lung cancer patients (n = 40) compared with adjacent tissues. Subsequently, knockdown of miR-889 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration, while overexpression of miR-889 had the opposite effect. KLF9 may be a potential target of miR-889. In addition, upregulation of miR-889 promotes tumorigenesis in vitro, and KLF9 protein levels are also reduced. The current study suggests that miR-889 may play a potential therapeutic role for NSCLC by targeting KLF9 to control NSCLC proliferation and migration.