miR-3178 as a prognostic indicator and tumor suppressor of gastric cancer.

Background: Gastric cancer is a common malignant tumor with an increasing death rate. MicroRNA can serve as a promising biomarker for the progression and prognosis of various cancers.

Aims: The clinical significance and biological function of miR-3178 in gastric cancer was assessed in this study.

Methods: A total of 117 paired tissues were collected from gastric cancer patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of miR-3178 in gastric cancer tissues and cells. The association between miR-3178 expression and the clinicopathological features of patients were analyzed by χ test. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were employed to investigate the prognostic value of miR-3178. Finally, the effect of miR-3178 on the cellular process of gastric cancer was investigated by CCK-8 and transwell assay.

Results: miR-3178 was downregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cells, which showed a significant association with the TNM stage and lymph node metastasis of patients and a poor prognosis. MiR-3178 and TNM stage were considered as two independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer. Furthermore, the downregulation of miR-3178 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer by regulating Notch1.

Conclusion: miR-3178 may be involved in the progression of gastric cancer, which provides new insights into the treatment of gastric cancer.