miR-193b directly targets STMN1 and uPA genes and suppresses tumor growth and metastasis in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer has the poorest prognosis among all cancer types, due to its late diagnosis and the lack of effective therapies. Therefore, identification of novel gene targets, which are differentially expressed in pancreatic cancer and functionally involved in the malignant phenotype, is critical to achieve early diagnosis and develop effective therapeutic strategies. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, which negatively regulate the expression of their targets. Due to their various targets, miRNAs play a key role in a number of physiological processes and in oncogenesis. Therefore, investigating the role of miRNAs in tumor may contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools for various types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer. Here, we investigated the role of miR-193b in pancreatic cancer. Our data showed that the expression of miR-193b is markedly decreased in pancreatic cancer tissues compared to adjacent healthy tissues. The Panc-1 cell line transfected with the miR‑193b exhibited significantly decreased proliferative, migratory, and invasive ability compared to untransfected cells. Moreover, miR-193b inhibited the expression of stathmin 1 (STMN1) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) in Panc-1 cells. These data suggest that miR-193b acts as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer. Therefore, miR-193b may constitute a promising therapeutic agent for the suppression of pancreatic cancer cell growth and metastasis.