MicroRNA 141 represses nasopharyngeal carcinoma growth through inhibiting BMI1

Distant metastasis is the primary cause of mortality in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Unveiling the mechanism of metastasis will aid in shedding light on the clinical therapeutic strategies in NPC treatment. The present study revealed that the expression of microRNA 141 (miR-141) was downregulated in NPC tumor cells, particularly in metastatic ones. Ectopic expression of miR-141 blocked the proliferative and invasive ability of the tumor cells in vitro, and inhibited NPC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistic studies identified that BMI1 served as the direct target of miR-141, and overexpression of BMI1 reversed the tumor repressor effect of miR-141. Prognostic analysis revealed that this miR-141/BMI1 signaling axis correlated with the clinical stage of patients with NPC. The study of miR-141 provided novel insight into the mechanism of NPC progression, which was correlated with the stage and metastatic state of patients. This miR-141/BMI1 axis may serve as a novel pharmacological target in NPC treatment.