miR-152 inhibits the proliferation and invasion of chordoma cells by targeting HOXC8

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that affect the expression of their target genes by binding to the 3′-untranslated region. miR-152 has been identified as a critical modulator in tumorigenesis, but its role in chordoma has not been explored. We therefore investigated the role of miR-152 in regulating chordoma cell behavior, and examined the downstream effectors of miR-152. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the expression of miR-152 in two human chordoma cell lines and in a normal human embryonic kidney cell line. We also analyzed the relationship between miR-152 and homeobox C8 (HOXC8) by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay. We determined the effects of miR-152 and HOXC8 expression on chordoma cell behavior. RESULTS: miR-152 expression was downregulated in chordoma compared with normal cells. Meanwhile, miR-152 overexpression inhibited chordoma cell proliferation and invasion. The oncogene HOXC8 was a direct target of miR-152, as shown by luciferase reporter and western blot assays. CONCLUSIONS: HOXC8 acted as an effector for the suppressive role of miR-152 in chordoma, thereby providing a potential therapeutic target in patients with chordoma.