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MiR-616 plays oncogenic role in hepatocellular carcinoma progression through suppressing PTEN expression and

Rina Sa1, Huali Song1, Meihua Wei1

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology and Endocrinology, The 263th Clinical Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.

Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology
|April 3, 2020
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNA-616 (miR-616) promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression by suppressing PTEN and activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Inhibiting miR-616 reduces HCC cell proliferation and metastasis.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Gene Regulation

Background:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of gene expression involved in tumorigenesis.
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant global health concern with complex underlying molecular mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional role and underlying mechanisms of miR-616 in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • To determine the relationship between miR-616 expression and clinical characteristics of HCC patients.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for miRNA expression analysis.
  • Cell proliferation (MTT assay), migration, and invasion (Transwell assay) assays.
  • Western blot for protein expression analysis, bioinformatics, and luciferase reporter assays to identify miRNA targets.

Main Results:

  • miR-616 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cells, correlating with lymph node metastasis and advanced TNM stage.
  • Downregulation of miR-616 inhibited HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.
  • miR-616 targeted PTEN, suppressing its expression and consequently activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Conclusions:

  • miR-616 acts as an oncogene in HCC by inhibiting PTEN and activating the PI3K/AKT pathway.
  • Targeting miR-616 presents a potential therapeutic strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Keywords:
Hepatocellular carcinomaMiR-616PI3K/AKTPTEN

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