title: MiR-20a-5p promotes radio-resistance by targeting Rab27B in nasopharyngeal cancer cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) was reported to be involved in cancer radio-resistance, which remains a major obstacle for effective cancer therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The differently expressed miRNAs were detected by RNA-seq experiment in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) cells. MiR-20a-5p was selected as our target, which was subject to finding its target gene Rab27B via bioinformatics analysis. The qRT-PCR, western blot and the luciferase reporter assays were performed to confirm Rab27B as the target of miR-20a-5p. In addition, the roles of miR-20a-5p in NPC radio-resistance were detected by transfection of either miR-20a-5p-mimic or miR-20a-5p-antagomiR. The involvement of Rab27B with NPC radio-resistance was also detected by the experiments with siRNA-mediated repression of Rab27B or over-expression of GFP-Rab27B. Wound healing and invasion assays were performed to detect the roles of both miR-20a-5p and Rab27B.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MiR-20a-5p promotes NPC radio-resistance. We identified that its target gene Rab27B negatively correlates with miR-20a-5p-mediated NPC radio-resistance by systematic studies of a radio-sensitive (CNE-2) and resistant (CNE-1) NPC cell lines. Repression of Rab27B by siRNA suppresses cell apoptosis and passivates CNE-2 cells, whereas over-expression of Rab27B triggered cell apoptosis and sensitizes CNE-1 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MiR-20a-5p and its target gene Rab27B might be involved in the NPC radio-resistance. Thus the key players and regulators involved in this pathway might be the potential targets for developing effective therapeutic strategies against NPC.
authors.affiliation: Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, 250012 China.|Department of Geriatrics, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230031 Anhui China.|Department of Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230001 China.
authors.forename: Dabing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230031 Anhui China.
authors.forename: Geng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230001 China.
authors.forename: Yueyin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230001 China.
authors.forename: Xinghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230001 China.
authors.forename: Yubei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230001 China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunotherapy and Nutrition Therapy, Hefei, 230001 China.
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunotherapy and Nutrition Therapy, Hefei, 230001 China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230031 Anhui China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, 250012 China.|Department of Geriatrics, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230031 Anhui China.|Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunotherapy and Nutrition Therapy, Hefei, 230001 China.
authors.forename: Shilian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hu
keywords: Nasopharyngeal cancer; Rab27B; Radio-resistance; miR-20a-5p