MicroRNA-195 inhibits colorectal cancer cell proliferation, colony-formation and invasion through targeting CARMA3

Abstract

MicroRNA (miR)-195 has been reported to be a tumor suppressor. Downregulation of miR-195 has been shown to correlate with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. However, the specific regulatory role of miR-195 in colorectal cancer cells is yet to be elucidated. In the present study, miR-195 expression was significantly reduced in colorectal cancer tissues. Furthermore, CARMA3 was identified as a novel target of miR-195, which was observed to be upregulated in colorectal cancer. In addition, downregulation of miR-195 increased CARMA3 protein expression, whereas miR-195 upregulation suppressed CARMA3 protein expression in SW480 and HT29 colorectal cancer cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-195 downregulated cell proliferation, colony-formation and invasion in SW480 and HT29 cells, which was reversed upon CARMA3 overexpression. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that miR-195 has a suppressive role in colorectal cancer cells through directly targeting CARMA3. Therefore, CARMA3 may be a potential target for the treatment of colorectal cancer.