MicroRNA‐498 reduces the proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer cells via targeting Bcl‐2

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major cause of carcinoma‐related deaths worldwide. MicroRNA‐498 (miR‐498) modulates the development of a variety of biological events, including tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether miR‐498 plays a role in CRC. This study was designed to elucidate the underlying mechanism and role of miR‐498 in modulation of the viability and invasiveness of CRC cells. We report that CRC tissues and cells exhibited decreased expression of miR‐498, and that overexpression of miR‐498 resulted in reduced proliferation of CRC cells, concomitant with increased apoptosis. Furthermore, bioinformatic prediction and dual‐luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR‐498 targeted the 3′‐UTR of Bcl‐2 for silencing. However, Bcl‐2 overexpression suppressed the proapoptosis of miR‐498 on CRC cells. In summary, we describe a possible role of miR‐498 in CRC, which may lead to the identification of new targets for treatment of this malignancy.