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MiR-181a promotes cell proliferation and migration through targeting KLF15 in papillary thyroid cancer

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Abstract

Introduction

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the predominant histological type of thyroid cancer, accounting for 80% of thyroid cancers. MiR-181a is a novel microRNA that is usually upregulated in multiple cancers. This study aims to explore the role and underlying mechanism of miR-181a in PTC.

Methods

CCK8 and Transwell assays were performed to evaluate cell viability and migration. The mRNA level of miR-181a and KLF15 was calculated by qRT-PCR. The protein level of E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin and GAPDH was evaluated by western blot. Dual luciferase assay was conducted to validate that miR-181a directly targeting the 3′-UTR of KLF15 mRNA in TPC-1 cells.

Results

We observed that miR-181a was overexpressed and KLF15 was low expressed in PTC tissues and cell lines. Upregulation of miR-181a or downregulation of KLF15 predicted poor outcomes in PTC patients. MiR-181a improved cell growth of PTC, migration and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in TPC-1 cells. KLF15 was a target gene of miR-181a and its expression was mediated by miR-181a. KLF15 partially reversed the facilitating effect of miR-181a on cell proliferation and migration in TPC-1 cells.

Conclusion

We discovered that miR-181a served as an oncogene downregulating KLF15, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation, migration and the EMT. These findings demonstrate that miR-181a plays a significant role in PTC progression and could be a therapeutic target for PTC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Yantaishan Hospital, Yantai, 264000, Shandong, China

    C. X. Sun

  2. Operation Room, Rizhao Hospital of TCM, Rizhao, 276800, Shandong, China

    B. J. Liu

  3. Operation Room, Qingdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qingdao Hiser Hospital, Qingdao, 266033, Shandong, China

    Y. Su

  4. Health Management Center, Zhangqiu District People’s Hospital, Jinan, 250200, Shandong, China

    G. W. Shi & Y. Wang

  5. Department of Endocrinology, Jinan Central Hospital, 105 Jiefang Road, Lixia District, Jinan, 250013, Shandong, China

    J. F. Chi

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  1. C. X. Sun
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Correspondence to J. F. Chi.

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The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Ethical approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yantaishan Hospital. The study was performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki.

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All study actions were performed under the appropriate ethics code, and consent was obtained from all patients within the clinical trial recruited for treatment.

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Sun, C.X., Liu, B.J., Su, Y. et al. MiR-181a promotes cell proliferation and migration through targeting KLF15 in papillary thyroid cancer. Clin Transl Oncol 24, 66–75 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-021-02670-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-021-02670-1

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