MicroRNA-126 is downregulated in thyroid cancer cells, and regulates proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting CXCR4

Abstract

MicroRNA-126 (miR-126) has previously been reported to be downregulated in various types of cancer; however, at present, there are no studies of miR-126 in human thyroid cancer. The present study aimed to determine the expression and effects of miR-126 on thyroid cancer. The expression levels of miR-126 were detected in human thyroid cancer tissues, matched normal adjacent tissues and human thyroid cancer cell lines using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, post-transfection of human thyroid cancer cells with miR-126 mimics, cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays, western blot analysis and luciferase assays were conducted. The results demonstrated that miR-126 was downregulated in thyroid cancer tissues and cells. Furthermore, upregulation of miR-126 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in thyroid cancer cells. The present study also provided evidence suggesting that miR-126 may directly target C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in thyroid cancer. These results indicated that miR-126 may be investigated as a target for the treatment of thyroid cancer.