Recent studies have reported the crucial role of stanniocalcin-2 (STC2) in hepatocellular carcinoma; however, its role in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains elusive. In this study, microRNA-206 (miR-206) was predicted to target STC2 gene. The study herein aimed to elucidate the effect of miR-206 on HNSCC by targeting STC2. STC2 was highly expressed in HNSCC tissues and cells. By targeting STC2, miR-206 decreased mRNA and protein expression of STC2. Importantly, our study showed that miR-206 blocked the Akt signaling pathway by inhibiting STC2. Intriguingly, our data from in vitro and in vivo experiments suggested that miR-206 overexpression led to decreased cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis and autophagy, as well as suppressed tumor growth; whereas, STC2 silencing reversed the effects of miR-206 inhibitor on those biological behaviors. In this study, we investigated the antioncogenic effect of miR-206 on HNSCC by targeting STC2, and highlighted miR-206/STC2 aixs as potential therapeutic targets for HNSCC.
Keywords: Akt signaling pathway; apoptosis; autophagy; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; microRNA-206; stanniocalcin-2.