MicroRNA-361-5p Inhibits Tumorigenesis and the EMT of HCC by Targeting Twist1

Abstract EN

MicroRNA-361-5p (miR-361-5p) is a tumor suppressor miRNA that is dysregulated in several types of human cancer.

However, the functional significance of miR-361-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear.

This study explored the biological function of miR-361-5p in regulating the progression of HCC and the underlying molecular mechanism.

RT-qPCR analysis showed that miR-361-5p was downregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines.

Functional analysis revealed that miR-361-5p acted as a tumor suppressor, inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines.

Bioinformatics analyses identified Twist1 as a direct target of miR-361-5p, which was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assays, RT-qPCR, and western blotting.

Rescue experiments indicated that Twist1 may mediate the tumor-suppressive effect of miR-361-5p in HCC cells, and this was supported by the effect of miR-361-5p on inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by targeting Twist1.

This study is the first to suggest that miR-361-5p inhibits tumorigenesis and EMT in HCC by targeting Twist1.

These findings are valuable for the diagnosis and clinical management of HCC.