MicroRNA-193b regulates proliferation, migration and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Abstract Background and Aims Recently, some miRNAs have been reported to be connected closely with the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the functions of these miRNAs in HCC remain largely undefined. Methods The expression profiles of miR-193b were compared between HCC tissues and adjacent normal liver tissues using qRT-PCR method. This method was also be used to screen the potential target genes of miR-193b. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm target association. Finally, the functional effect of miR-193b in hepatoma cells was examined further. Results miR-193b was significantly down-regulated in most of the HCC tissues compared to the matching non-tumoural liver tissues. Furthermore, ectopic expression of miR-193b dramatically suppressed the ability of hepatoma cells to form colonies in vitro and to develop tumours in nude mice. CCND1 and ETS1 were revealed to be regulated by miR-193b directly. By regulating the expressions of these oncogenes, miR-193b induced cell cycle arrest and inhibited the invasion and migration of hepatoma cells. Conclusions miR-193b may function as a tumour suppressor in the development of HCC by acting on multiple tumourigenic pathways.