MicroRNAs are important for the regulation of multiple cellular functions and are involved in the initiation and progression of various types of cancer, including breast cancer. Although microRNA (miR)‑454‑3p is reported to function as an oncogene in several types of human cancer, the role of miR‑454‑5p in breast cancer remains unknown. The present study demonstrated that miR‑454‑5p was upregulated in breast cancer and was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer. Overexpression of miR‑454‑5p promoted breast cancer cell viability, migration and invasion in vitro, whereas silencing of miR‑454‑5p inhibited breast cancer proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, forkhead box J2 (FoxJ2) was shown to be a target of miR‑454‑5p and transactivated E‑cadherin expression. Moreover, silencing of miR‑454‑5p reversed the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition phenotype through upregulation of the FoxJ2/E‑cadherin axis. Collectively, the present findings suggested that miR‑454‑5p may serve as a novel therapeutic target and prognostic predictor for patients with breast cancer.
Keywords: E‑cadherin; breast cancer; epithelial‑mesenchymal transition; forkhead box J2; microRNA‑454‑5p; migration and invasion.