Oncogenic role of microRNA-20a in human uveal melanoma

As a member of the microRNA (miR)-17-92 cluster, miR-20a has been indicated to be involved in the regulation of the proliferation and invasion of various cancer cells. Previous studies have observed elevated plasma levels of miR-20a in patients with uveal melanoma (UM), compared with normal controls. In the present study, the potential function of miR-20a in UM was investigated. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to detect the expression levels of miR-20a in UM cells and tissues. The functions of miR-20a on cell proliferation, migration and invasion were determined in vitro using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and Transwell assays, respectively. The expression levels of miR-20a were significantly increased in the UM cells and tissues (P<0.05). Subsequently, miR-20a mimics were transfected into UM cells, which led to increases in cell growth, migration and invasion activities. By contrast, miR-20a inhibition markedly suppressed the viability and motility of UM cells in vitro. These data provided convincing evidence that miR-20a may function as an oncogenic miRNA, and may be involved in promoting cell growth and motility in the molecular etiology of UM, suggesting its potential as a candidate therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with UM.