Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 5, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment
11:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment

Published on: June 9, 2023

1.8K

miR-641 Inhibited Cell Proliferation and Induced Apoptosis by Targeting NUCKS1/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in Breast

Li Li1,2, Da Wei1,2, Junying Zhang1,3

  • 1Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital Cancer Institute of Jiangsu Province, Baiziting 42, Nanjing 210009, China.

Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine
|January 24, 2022
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

MicroRNA-641 (miR-641) acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer by inhibiting cell proliferation and migration. It targets NUCKS1, regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway to suppress tumor growth.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in various cancers, including breast cancer.
  • Understanding the specific functions of individual miRNAs is essential for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role and function of miR-641 in breast cancer.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying miR-641's action in breast cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Real-time PCR was used to determine miR-641 expression in breast cancer cell lines.
  • Functional assays (CCK-8, transwell, wound-healing, apoptosis) assessed miR-641's impact on malignant behaviors.
  • Luciferase reporter assays identified miR-641's direct targets and regulatory pathways.

Main Results:

  • miR-641 expression was downregulated in breast cancer cell lines, with inverse correlation to NUCKS1 levels.
  • miR-641 suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while promoting apoptosis.
  • NUCKS1, a PI3K/AKT pathway regulator, was validated as a direct miR-641 target; PI3K agonist treatment reversed miR-641's effects.

Conclusions:

  • miR-641 functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer.
  • The tumor-suppressive role of miR-641 is mediated through targeting NUCKS1 and inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

More Related Videos

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells06:54

Studying TGF-β Signaling and TGF-β-induced Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer and Normal Cells

Published on: October 27, 2020

13.4K
Analysis of Combinatorial miRNA Treatments to Regulate Cell Cycle and Angiogenesis11:44

Analysis of Combinatorial miRNA Treatments to Regulate Cell Cycle and Angiogenesis

Published on: March 30, 2019

7.7K

Related Concept Videos

Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
5.0K
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway01:22

PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway

The mammalian target of rapamycin  (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1  (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2  (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast,  mTORC2 consists of a...
4.1K
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...
3.2K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
3.9K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
7.0K
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
7.0K