Abstract
Distant metastasis is the predominant pattern of gastric cancer (GC) recurrence, and is the most common cause of cancer‑associated mortality. Accumulating evidence has suggested that aberrant activation of epithelial‑mesenchymal transition has a crucial role in the genesis, invasion and metastasis of various types of cancer, including GC. Using Cell Counting kit‑8 and Transwell assays, the effects of microRNA (miR)‑205 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of NCI‑H87 GC cells were determined, and the potential underlying mechanisms were explored. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR‑205, which has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor in various types of cancer, significantly suppressed the migration and invasion of GC cells, which may be correlated with its suppressive effects on EMT. Upon transfection with miR‑205, the epithelial marker CDH1 (E‑cadherin) was upregulated, and the mesenchymal markers CDH2 (N‑cadherin) and vimentin were suppressed. Furthermore, zinc‑finger E‑box‑binding homeobox factor‑1 (ZEB1) was identified as a putative target gene of miR‑205 in GC, which may be associated with its suppressive effects. The results of the present study may provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic options for the treatment of human GC.