Abstract
MicroRNAs are noncoding RNAs of 21 to 23 nucleotides in length that play important roles in almost all biological pathways. The roles of microRNA-299-3p in the development and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma remain unclear. Expression level of microRNA-299-3p in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines was analyzed. Then, the effects of microRNA-299-3p on oral squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation and migration were investigated. Moreover, bioinformation algorithm and Western blot were conducted to explore whether forkhead box P4 was a direct target of miR-299-3p. We showed that microRNA-299-3p expression was significantly reduced in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. Next, overexpression of microRNA-299-3p was found to inhibit oral squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation and migration but promote apoptosis. In addition, forkhead box P4 was identified as a functional target of microRNA-299-3p. Our results provide a new perspective for the mechanisms underlying the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma and a novel target for the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma.