miR-193b directly targets STMN1 and inhibits the malignant phenotype in colorectal cancer

Accumulating evidence suggests that aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to the initiation and progression of human cancers. However, the underlying function of miR-193b in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unexplored. Herein, we demonstrate that miR-193b is significantly down-regulated in CRC tissues compared with their normal counterparts. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that decreased miR-193b expression was closely associated with the shorter overall survival of patients with CRC. Through gain-and loss-of-function studies, we showed that miR-193b significantly suppressed CRC cell proliferation and invasion. In addition, bioinformatics analyses and luciferase reporter assays identified Stathmin 1 (STMN1) as the direct functional target of miR-193b in CRC. Furthermore, silencing of STMN1 resulted in a phenotype similar to that observed for overexpression of miR-193b, and restoration of STMN1 expression completely rescued the inhibitory effect of miR-193b in CRC cells. Taken together, our study implies the essential role of miR-193b in negatively regulating CRC progression, and a novel link between miR-193b and STMN1 in CRC.