Aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are dysregulated in a wide range of malignant diseases, confirming their crucial role in tumor metastasis. MiRNA-30a-5p, a member of the miR-30 family, has been implicated in many types of cancers, including colorectal cancer, a leading cause of death worldwide.
Methods: qRT-PCR, Western blot, Transwell assay,luciferase reporter assay were performed in the present study.
Results: In this study, miR-30a-5p was found to be significantly downregulated in human colorectal cancer tissue specimens and cell lines compared with non-cancerous tissues and cells. The overexpression of miR-30a-5p inhibited the migratory and invasive abilities of colorectal cancer cells and suppressed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, a crucial process in metastasis. Bioinformatic algorithms and luciferase reporter assays revealed that integrin β3 (ITGB3) is a direct target of miR-30a-5p. Importantly, overexpression of ITGB3 in colorectal cancer cells rescued these cells from miR-30a-5p-mediated suppression of metastasis and restored the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
Conclusion: Taken together, our study provides the first evidence that miR-30a-5p suppresses colon cancer metastasis through the inhibition of ITGB3. Thus, targeting miR-30a-5p might serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
© 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.