title: An Encapsulation of Gene Signatures for Hepatocellular Carcinoma, MicroRNA-132 Predicted Target Genes and the Corresponding Overlaps.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have demonstrated that microRNA-132 plays a vital part in and is actively associated with several cancers, with its tumor-suppressive role in hepatocellular carcinoma confirmed. The current study employed multiple bioinformatics techniques to establish gene signatures for hepatocellular carcinoma, microRNA-132 predicted target genes and the corresponding overlaps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Various assays were performed to explore the role and cellular functions of miR-132 in HCC and a successive panel of tasks was completed, including NLP analysis, miR-132 target genes prediction, comprehensive analyses (gene ontology analysis, pathway analysis, network analysis and connectivity analysis), and analytical integration. Later, HCC-related and miR-132-related potential targets, pathways, networks and highlighted hub genes were revealed as well as those of the overlapped section.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MiR-132 was effective in both impeding cell growth and boosting apoptosis in HCC cell lines. A total of fifty-nine genes were obtained from the analytical integration, which were considered to be both HCC- and miR-132-related. Moreover, four specific pathways were unveiled in the network analysis of the overlaps, i.e. adherens junction, VEGF signaling pathway, neurotrophin signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tumor-suppressive role of miR-132 in HCC has been further confirmed by in vitro experiments. Gene signatures in the study identified the potential molecular mechanisms of HCC, miR-132 and their established associations, which might be effective for diagnosis, individualized treatments and prognosis of HCC patients. However, combined detections of miR-132 with other bio-indicators in clinical practice and further in vitro experiments are needed.
authors.affiliation: Research Department, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, 71 Hedi Road, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, 71 Hedi Road, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Fanghui
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Haiwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yiwu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Research Department, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, 71 Hedi Road, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Minhua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rong
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C547077:MIRN132 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs