MiR-200b inhibits prostate cancer EMT, growth and metastasis

miRNA regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level and fine-tune the key biological processes, including cancer progression. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of miR-200b in the metastatic spread of prostate cancer. We identified miR-200b as a downstream target of androgen receptor and linked its expression to decreased tumorigenicity and metastatic capacity of the prostate cancer cells. Overexpression of miR-200b in PC-3 cells significantly inhibited their proliferation and the formation of subcutaneous tumors. Moreover, in an orthotopic model, miR-200b blocked spontaneous metastasis and angiogenesis by PC-3 cells. This decreased metastatic potential was likely due to the reversal of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, as was evidenced by increased pan-epithelial marker E-cadherin and specific markers of prostate epithelium, cytokeratins 8 and 18. In contrast, mesenchymal markers, fibronectin and vimentin, were significantly downregulated by miR-200b. Our results suggest an important role for miR-200b in prostate cancer progression and indicate its potential utility for prostate cancer therapy.