Aim
Increasing evidence show microRNAs (miRNAs) are engaged in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-144 in HCC, as well as to identify its underlying mechanism.
Conclusion
Taken together, overexpression of miR-144 or downregulation of SMAD4 may prove beneficial as therapeutic strategies for HCC treatment.
Methods
The expression levels of miR-144 were assessed in multiple HCC cell lines, as well as in liver tissues from patients with HCC. We further examined the effects of miR-144 on HCC. The molecular target of miR-144 was identified using a computer algorithm and confirmed experimentally.
Results
We found that the levels of miR-144 were frequently downregulated in human HCC tissues and cell lines, and overexpression of miR-144 dramatically inhibited HCC metastasis, invasion, cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and chemoresistance. We further verified the SMAD4 as a novel and direct target of miR-144 in HCCs.