MiR-129-5p is down-regulated and involved in the growth, apoptosis and migration of medullary thyroid carcinoma cells through targeting RET.

Dysregulation of the REarranged during Transfection proto-oncogene (RET) pathway and microRNA (miRNAs) are crucial for the development of medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTC). Here we demonstrate that miR-129-5p is down-regulated in MTC tissues and cell lines and inhibits RET expression by directly binding its 3' untranslated regions. Ectopic expression of miR-129-5p significantly decreases cell growth, induces apoptosis and suppresses migration ability in MTC cells through decreasing the phosphorylated AKT, thus functioning as a tumor suppressor. These findings give new clues for understanding MTC carcinogenesis and may help in developing a therapeutic approach for the treatment of RET-activated MTC.