MicroRNA-449b-3p inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting IL-6 and through the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in non-small cell lung cancer

Kai Cai; Hong-Xia Li; Pan-Pan Li; Zi-Jian Guo; Yang Yang

doi:10.3892/etm.2020.8504

MicroRNA-449b-3p inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting IL-6 and through the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in non-small cell lung cancer

Exp Ther Med. 2020 Apr;19(4):2527-2534. doi: 10.3892/etm.2020.8504. Epub 2020 Feb 10.

Authors

Kai Cai¹, Hong-Xia Li¹, Pan-Pan Li¹, Zi-Jian Guo¹, Yang Yang¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi 530000, P.R. China.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRs) have vital involvement in the advancement of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the methods of action of miR-449b-3p in the disease are yet to be examined. The present study revealed a distinct downregulation of miR-449b-3p in NSCLC tissue, which was related to the clinicopathological characteristics, and may serve as an independent marker for NSCLC prognosis. NSCLC cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis and migration were distinctly controlled in vitro by miR-449b-3p, that was found to directly target interleukin (IL)-6. Additionally, increased IL-6 level could inhibit miR-449b-3p and suppress the effect of EMT in NSCLC cells by inactivating the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/STAT3 signaling pathway. In conclusion, the data from the present study demonstrated that IL-6 is targeted by miR-449b-3p, which affects the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, impacting on the development of NSCLC.

Keywords: Janus kinase 2/STAT3 pathway; epithelial-mesenchymal transition; interleukin-6; microRNA-449b-3p; non-small cell lung cancer.