Microrna-548q Is A Novel Oncogene And Potential Prognostic Biomarker In Human Gastric Cancer

Increasing evidence reveals that microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of short noncoding RNAs, are aberrantly expressed in gastric cancer (GC). The purpose of the present study is to dig out potential dysregulated miRNAs that are highly involved in GC development. Firstly, we performed miRNA expression profiling in a large CRC cohort from Gene Expression Ominus (GEO), GSE78091 test series. We identified 43 miRNAs that were differentially expressed. The reliability of miRNA expression profiles was further verified in carcinoma tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues from 93 GC patients using qRT-PCR. We found that the expression of miR-548q, which has not been reported previously in GC, was significantly increased in GC tissues and cell lines. Increased miR-548q expression was closely associated with aggressive clinicopathological variables and poor prognosis of GC patients. Moreover, miR-548q silencing noticeably inhibited proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion in GC cell lines. Down-regulation of miR-548q also markedly repressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, which is the major mechanism of cancer metastasis. Accordingly, we herein have delineated the oncogenic role of miR-548q in GC. Our results might provide a miRNA-based target for GC treatment.