miRNA-128 modulates bone neoplasms cells proliferation and migration through the WNT/β-catenin and EMT signal pathways

BACKGROUND: Bone neoplasms present poor prognosis due to recurrence and metastasis. Although the role microRNAs (miRNAs) in inhibiting growth and metastasis of bone neoplasms has been investigated, the underlying potential molecular mechanisms mediated by miRNA-128 (miR-218) for the invasiveness of bone neoplasms cells are still not completely understood. The purpose of this study was to identify the regulatory mechanisms of miR-218 in bone neoplasms cells. METHODS: Western blotting, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Counting Kit-8 assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, luciferase activity assay immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the regulatory effects of miR-218 on bone neoplasms cells. RESULTS: Here, the results showed that transfection of miR-128 suppressed bone neoplasms cells proliferation, migration, and invasion. Genetic knockdown of miR-128 in bone neoplasms cells suppressed the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling pathways. Activation of Wnt or EMT blocked miR-128-inhibited cells proliferation and migration in bone neoplasms cells. Exogenously introduced miR-128 markedly inhibited tumor regeneration in bone neoplasms xenograft models. CONCLUSIONS: These results define a tumor-regulated function for miR-128 in bone neoplasms by down-regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin and EMT signal pathways, which provided a potential target for bone neoplasms gene therapy.