miR-424 acts as a tumor radiosensitizer by targeting aprataxin in cervical cancer

// Xia Wang 1, 2, * , Qing Li 3, * , Hua Jin 4 , Hua Zou 3 , Wei Xia 3 , Nan Dai 3 , Xiao-Yan Dai 3 , Dong Wang 3 , Cheng-Xiong Xu 3 , Yi Qing 3 1 Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China 2 Laboratory of Obstetric and Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China 3 Cancer Center, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China 4 Department of Thoracic Surgery, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Cheng-Xiong Xu, email: xuchengxiong@hanmail.net Yi Qing, email: qywxbb@hotmail.com Keywords: miR-424, aprataxin, radioresistance, cervical cancer Received: July 05, 2016     Accepted: October 10, 2016     Published: October 18, 2016 ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that some dysregulated miRNAs are involved in radioresistance of tumor cells. Here, we identified significantly decreased miR-424 expression in radioresistant cervical cancer cells and specimens from cervical cancer patients with radioresistance compared to their radiosensitive parental cells and specimens from radiosensitive patients, respectively. Ectopic expression of miR-424 significantly increased radiation-induced DNA damage, cell apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest in radioresistant cervical cancer cells. Notably, miR-424 agomiR treatment can sensitize radioresistant cervical cancer cells to radiation in a xenograft model. Furthermore, we demonstrated that miR-424 regulated radiosensitivity by directly targeting aprataxin. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-424 acts as a radiosensitizing miRNA and reveal a new therapeutic strategy for radioresistant cervical cancers.