Abstract
Increasing evidence has indicated that the abnormal expression of microRNAs contributes to tumorigenesis and tumor development. Understanding the roles of microRNAs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) might provide valuable information for therapeutic strategies in the therapy for patients with NSCLC. In the present study, significant upregulation of microRNA (miR)-301a was observed in NSCLC tissues and cell lines compared with normal adjacent tissues and a normal human bronchial epithelial cell line. The inhibition of miR-301a suppressed proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Functional analyses indicated that DLC1 was a direct target of miR-301a in NSCLC. Inhibiting miR-301a expression decreased DLC1 expression at mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, DLC1 knockdown partially reversed the inhibition of proliferation, migration and invasion induced by miR-301a knockdown in NSCLC cells. Therefore, these findings may provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of miR-301a in proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. The findings also indicated that miR-301a may act as a novel potential therapeutic target for patients with NSCLC.