Open Access

ARTICLE

miR-30a-5p/PHTF2 axis regulates the tumorigenesis and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma

LIJUAN ZHANG^1,#, QINGYIN MENG^2,#, LI ZHUANG¹, QUAN GONG¹, XIANDA HUANG³, XUEQIN LI¹, SHIJUAN LI¹, GUOQIN WANG⁴, XICAI WANG^5,*

1 Department of Rehabilitation and Palliative Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Kunming, China
2 Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Kunming, China
3 Emergency Department (Outpatient Chemotherapy Center), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Kunming, China
4 Department of Cancer BioTreatment Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Kunming, China
5 Department of Cancer Institute, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Kunming, China

* Corresponding Author: XICAI WANG. Email:
# Contributed equally

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: MicroRNA as Biomarkers for Disease Diagnosis and Progression)

BIOCELL 2024, 48(4), 581-590. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2024.047260

Received 31 October 2023; Accepted 23 January 2024; Issue published 09 April 2024

Abstract

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma is a very pervasive histological form of lung cancers, and inhibiting metastasis is crucial for effective treatment. In this investigation, we explored the functional interaction of miR-30a-5p and the putative transcription factor 2 of the homeodomain (PHTF2) in dictating the aggressiveness and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. Method: We collected clinical samples to evaluate the expression patterns of miR-30a-5p and PHTF2 in lung adenocarcinoma along with normal tissues. Cellular experiments including cell count kit (CCK)-8 growth assay, apoptosis analysis, migration and invasion examinations were performed to assess the aggressiveness of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, we examined tumorigenesis and metastasis in a nude mouse model. Results: MiR-30a-5p exhibited downregulation pattern in lung adenocarcinoma samples. Transfection of miR-30a-5p mimic in lung adenocarcinoma cells resulted in the suppression of malignant characteristics. Notably, the administration of miR-30a-5p mimic also curbed tumorigenesis and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma cells in animal model. Moreover, PHTF2 was found to be a molecular target of miR-30a-5p. Upregulating PHTF2 counteracted the tumor-suppressive effect of the miR-30a-5p mimic. Conclusion: miR-30a-5p functions as a tumor-suppressive molecule while PHTF2 acts as an oncogenic factor in the development and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, targeting miR-30a-5p and PHTF2 could be developed into a promising therapeutic approach for inhibiting metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma.

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