Background
The molecular targets and associated mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been widely studied, but the roles of PDZK1 in HCC are unclear. Therefore, the
Conclusion
Our study indicated that the miR-101-3p/PDZK1 axis plays a role in HCC progression and could be beneficial as a novel biomarker and new therapeutic target for HCC treatment.
Results
It was found that the expression of PDZK1 in HCC tissues was higher than that in paired paracancerous tissues. High expression of PDZK1 was associated with lymph node metastasis, degree of differentiation, and clinical stage. Upregulation of PDZK1 in HCC cells affected their proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and cell cycle, and also induced PI3K/AKT activation. PDZK1 is a downstream target gene of miR-101-3p. Accordingly, increase in the expression of miR-101-3p reversed the promotive effect of PDZK1 in HCC. Moreover, PDZK1 was found to accelerate cell proliferation and promote the malignant progression of HCC via the PI3K/AKT pathway.