The miR-21-5p-Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 Axis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression and Prognosis

Evidence indicates that miR-21-5p is an important molecular regulator in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) is a potential tumor suppressor, but the regulatory relationship between miR-21-5p and CADM1 in the progression of NSCLC remains unclear. Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of miR-21-5p and CADM1 in NSCLC tissues and cells; target binding of miR-21-5p and CADM1 was verified by dual luciferase reporter gene assay; the cell migration ability was detected by the Transwell assay; the clinicopathological data and survival analysis were combined to explore the clinical significance of miR-21-5p; the function enrichment of miR-21-5p target genes was analyzed by bioinformatics. The expression of miR-21-5p in NSCLC tissues was significantly higher than in adjacent normal tissues, and patients with high miR-21-5p expression had a shorter overall survival. High expression of miR-21-5p is an independent risk factor for the survival of NSCLC patients; overexpression of miR-21-5p promoted cell migration in NSCLC cells and upregulated the expression of inflammatory factors; the dual luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that miR-21-5p directly targeted CADM1; overexpression of CADM1 inhibited cell migration in NSCLC cells and downregulated the expression of inflammatory factors; bioinformatics analysis showed that miR-21-5p target genes were enriched in multiple signaling pathways related to tumor occurrence and development. miR-21-5p promotes NSCLC progression by targeting and inhibiting CADM1 and may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.