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Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies
09:29

Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies

Published on: September 30, 2016

MiR-30a-5p Suppresses the ERK Signaling Pathway by Targeting Vimentin to Inhibit the Migration and

Fei Tu1,2,3, Fengyuan He1,2, Yiqiu Zhang1,2

  • 1School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China.

Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology
|June 29, 2026
PubMed

Insights

MicroRNA miR-30a-5p acts as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer (CRC). Its downregulation promotes CRC cell migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by targeting vimentin and the ERK pathway.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators of cellular processes, including cancer development.
  • Colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and metastasis involve complex molecular mechanisms.
  • The specific role of miR-30a-5p in CRC pathogenesis is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function and molecular mechanisms of miR-30a-5p in colorectal cancer.
  • To determine the expression levels of miR-30a-5p in CRC tissues.
  • To explore the potential of the miR-30a-5p/vimentin axis as a therapeutic target.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) public datasets.
  • Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for miRNA expression analysis.
  • In vitro functional assays to assess cell migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
  • Luciferase reporter assays to confirm direct targeting of vimentin by miR-30a-5p.

Main Results:

  • miR-30a-5p was found to be significantly downregulated in colorectal cancer tissues compared to normal tissues.
  • Overexpression of miR-30a-5p suppressed the migration and EMT of CRC cells.
  • miR-30a-5p directly targets vimentin, a key protein involved in EMT.
  • Suppression of vimentin by miR-30a-5p led to the inhibition of the downstream ERK signaling pathway.

Conclusions:

  • miR-30a-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer.
  • The miR-30a-5p/vimentin axis plays a critical role in regulating CRC cell migration and EMT.
  • Targeting the miR-30a-5p/vimentin pathway holds potential for novel CRC therapeutic strategies.
Keywords:
ERKMiR‐30a‐5pcolorectal cancervimentin

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