Open Access

ARTICLE

miR-202 Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion by Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Human Bladder Cancer

Liqing Zhang^*, Jianjiang Xu^†, Gaodi Yang^*, Heng Li^‡, Xiuxia Guo^§

* Department of Urology Surgery, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
† Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
‡ Department of Medicine, School of Life Science, Jinan University, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China
§ Department of Gynecology, General Hospital of Jinan Military Command, Jinan, Shandong, P.R. China

Oncology Research 2018, 26(6), 949-957. https://doi.org/10.3727/096504018X15149787144385

Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated that miR-202 is associated with several types of cancer; however, the expression and function of miR-202 have not been investigated in bladder cancer. We analyzed the expression of miR-202 in bladder cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues. The effect of miR-202 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion was evaluated by in vitro assays. The target gene of miR-202 was assessed by luciferase reporter assay. In this study, miR-202 was found to be significantly downregulated in bladder cancer cell lines and tissues and was highly correlated with the T classification, N classification, grade, and recurrence. Ectopic expression of miR-202 suppressed cell viability, colony formation, cell migration, and invasion in vitro and inhibited xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Inversely, downregulation of miR-202 had contradictory effects. The 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was identified as a direct target of miR-202 using luciferase reporter assays, and knockdown of EGFR enhanced miR-202-inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, miR-202 suppresses bladder cancer carcinogenesis and progression by targeting EGFR, thereby representing a potential target for miRNA-based therapy for bladder cancer in the future.

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Keywords

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