miR-508-3p suppresses the development of ovarian carcinoma by targeting CCNA2 and MMP7

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological tumor, and the 5-year survival rate is only ~40%. The poor survival rate is due to cancer diagnosis at an advanced stage, when the tumor has metastasized. A better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of tumor growth and metastasis is needed to improve patient prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRs) regulate carcinogenesis and development of cancers. However, the role of miR-508-3p in ovarian cancer remains largely unknown. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the possible functions of miR-508-3p in the modulation of development of ovarian cancer. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-508-3p mimics inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Reporter gene assay results demonstrated that miR-508-3p suppressed cancer cell proliferation by directly targeting the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of cyclin A2 (CCNA2) and suppressed migration and invasion by directly targeting the 3′-UTR of matrix metallo-proteinase 7 (MMP7). In addition, high CCNA2 and MMP7 expression levels were associated with low miR-508-3p expression in ovarian cancer tissues. Furthermore, miR-508-3p and CCNA2 were independent predictors for overall survival in patients with ovarian cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrated that miR-508-3p suppressed ovarian cancer development by directly targeting CCNA2 and MMP7. The results of this study suggested the potential value of miR-508-3p and CCNA2 as prognostic indicators and therapeutics for ovarian cancer.