miR-636 represses cell survival by targeting CDK6/Bcl-2 in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is widely known as one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in women, and microRNAs (miRNAs) has been characterized as an important regulator in tumor progression, such as cervical cancer. MiR-636 was found to play a tumor suppressor role in hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis. However, the tumorigenic mechanism of miR-636 on cervical cancer has not yet been found. In the present study, we first found that miR-636 was significantly downregulated in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. in vitro gain- and loss-of-function assays revealed that overexpression of miR-636 inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis, while knockdown of miR-636 reversed the effect on cervical tumorigenesis. Furthermore, cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were characterized as targets of miR-636. Notably, overexpression of CDK6 or Bcl-2 could reverse the inhibitory effect of miR-636 on cervical cancer progression. Mechanistically, miR-636 repressed cell survival by targeting CDK6/Bcl-2 in cervical cancer, which may be the underlying mechanism of miR-636-inhibited cervical progression. In conclusion, our findings clarified the biologic significance of miR-636/CDK6/Bcl-2 axis in cervical cancer progression and suggested the potential therapeutic target ability of miR-636 in treatment of cervical cancer.