MicroRNA-148a suppresses proliferation and invasion potential of non-small cell lung carcinomas via regulation of STAT3

Lung cancer has the highest morbidity and mortality in the world, and non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) account for 80% of cases of lung cancer. The mechanism of NSCLC is still largely unknown, and finding novel targets is of great importance for the treatment of NSCLC. The current study was designed to evaluate the role of miR-148a in NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion and to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms. We found that miR-148a expression was decreased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Upregulation of miR-148a significantly decreased A549 cell proliferation, and downregulation of miR-148a significantly increased A549 cell proliferation. Upregulation of miR-148a markedly increased apoptotic cell death and inhibited cell invasion potential. Upregulation of miR-148a significantly decreased signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) expression and 3′-untranslated region luciferase activity. Downregulation of miR-148a significantly increased STAT3 expression. Overexpression of STAT3 significantly inhibited the effect of miR-148a on cell viability and invasion potential. In conclusion, we found that miR-148a inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion potential through the inhibition of STAT3. Our findings highlight miR-148a/STAT3 axis as a novel therapeutic target for the inhibition of NSCLC growth.