title: miR-34a inhibits migration and invasion of tongue squamous cell carcinoma via targeting MMP9 and MMP14.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  miR-34a is an important tumor suppressor gene in various cancer types. But little is known about the dysregulation of miR-34a in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). In this study, we investigate the expression and potential role of miR-34a in TSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated miR-34a expression and its relationship with clinicopathological characters in 75 pairs of TSCC samples, and confirmed the role of miR-34a for predicting lymph node metastases from a further 15 pairs of paraffin-embedded TSCC specimens with stringent clinicopathological recruitment criteria using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effects of miR-34a on cell proliferation, migration and invasion were examined in TSCC cell lines using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, wound healing assay and transwell assay, respectively. The effects of miR-34a on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 and 14 were detected by luciferase reporter assays and Western blot analysis. The expression of miR-34a, MMP9 and MMP14 were also confirmed in TSCC samples by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  miR-34a expression in tumor tissues from TSCC patients with positive lymph node metastases was significantly lower than that with negative lymph node metastases. Overexpression of miR-34a significantly suppressed migration and invasion in TSCC cells and simultaneously inhibited the expression of MMP9 and MMP14 through targeting the coding region and the 3'untranslated region, respectively. Moreover, miR-34a expression in TSCC was inversely correlated with protein expression of MMP9 and MMP14 in the TSCC samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miR-34a plays an important role in lymph node metastases of TSCC through targeting MMP9 and MMP14 and may have potential applications in prognosis prediction and gene therapy for lymph node metastases of TSCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China; Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ling-Fei
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Medical Systems Biology Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Su-Bi
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Medical Systems Biology Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; CapitalBio Corporation, Changping District, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitchelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China; Central Laboratory, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ye-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guang-Yan
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D053511:Matrix Metalloproteinase 14 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; C522425:MIRN34 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D008156:Luciferases; C579270:MMP9 protein, human; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; C507086:MMP14 protein, human; D053511:Matrix Metalloproteinase 14