The emerging role of miRNA as regulators in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression has aroused great attention recently. In this study, the effects of miR-624-3p in ESCC progression were explored through cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle, and apoptosis analyses. Results showed that increased expression of miR-624-3p enhanced cancer cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion but inhibited apoptosis in ESCC. Moreover, luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-624-3p bound to the 3'-untranslated region of phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN). Further study showed that miR-624-3p exerted its tumor promoting role through targeting PTEN. Taken together, these results elucidate the regulatory role of miR-624-3p in ESCC progression, shedding light on its possible clinical application in ESCC treatment.
Keywords: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; miR; miRNA; phosphatase and tensin homologue.