MicroRNA-761 inhibits the metastasis of gastric cancer by negatively regulating Ras and Rab interactor 1

Gastric cancer (GC), the second most common malignant cancer worldwide, gives rise to a number of cancer-associated fatalities annually. Accumulating evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRs) may serve as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in GC development. The aim of this study was to discover the expression, function and mechanism of miR-761 in GC progression. First, the findings revealed that the expression level of miR-761 was significantly decreased in GC cell lines and tissues. The functional studies showed that miR-761 in GC cells inhibited tumor proliferation and metastasis. In the mechanistic study, through an online database search and luciferase assay, Ras and Rab interactor 1 (RIN1), which has been demonstrated as an oncogene in various types of cancer, including GC, was identified as a target of miR-761. Notably, miR-761 expression was demonstrated to be negatively correlated with RIN1 mRNA levels in GC tissues. Simultaneously, overexpression of RIN1 partially rescued the inhibitory effect of miR-761 mimic in the GC cells. The present study provided new insights into the role of miR-761 in the progression of GC, and implicated the potential application of miR-761 in GC cell therapy.