MicroRNA-449a Is Downregulated in Cervical Cancer and Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors among women in the world. MicroRNA-449a (miR-449a) has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in various cancers. Our present study aimed to explore the biological role of miR-449a in cervical cancer.

Methods: The expression of miR-449a in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines was detected using real-time quantitative PCR. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and a Cox regression assay were used to identify the prognostic significance of miR-449a in cervical cancer. A CCK-8 assay and a Transwell assay were performed to determine the impact of miR-449a on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells.

Results: The expression of miR-449a was decreased in both cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. The decreased expression of miR-449a was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, differentiation, and FIGO stage, as well as with poor survival. In vitro, transfection of miR-449a mimic into cervical cancer cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Conclusion: All of the results revealed that miR-449a functions as a suppressor gene and inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in cervical cancer. In addition, it may serve as a prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer.