microRNA-1297 involves in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma through PTEN

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) oncogenic mechanisms still remain elusive. Herein, we proposed to understand the biological role of a newly discovered OSCC miRNA. METHODS: MiR-1297 related to OSCC was selected for this study. TaqMan qRT- PCR assay was used to profile miRNA and gene expression in 16 tumors with matched adjacent non-tumor tissues. CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay were used to demonstrate cell proliferation. Protein level was determined by western blotting. SPSS was used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: MiR-1297 is repressed and PTEN activated in OSCC. Moreover, the miR-1297 overexpressing cell lines displayed a decrease in cell growth rate. And, suppression of miR-1297 reversed the cell growth rate. In addition, PTEN silencing display the similar pattern as miRNA-1297 overexpression to enhance OSCC cell growth. CONCLUSIONS: MiRNA and gene expression changes are common event in OSCC. Our results suggest miR-1297 may drive tumor progression through PTEN. And, miR-1297 could be a promising candidate for future investigation.