Identification of miR‑125a‑5p as a tumor suppressor of renal cell carcinoma, regulating cellular proliferation, migration and apoptosis.

miR‑125a‑5p has been previously described as a tumor suppressor in numerous malignancies, however the expression and function of miR‑125a‑5p in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, to explore the potential role of miR‑125a‑5p in RCC, quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the expression levels of miR‑125a‑5p in renal cancer tissues. The influence of miR‑125a‑5p on cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis was also determined, using an MTT assay, a wound scratch assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of miR‑125a‑5p was shown to be decreased in RCC and the restoration of miR‑125a‑5p by synthetic mimics was shown to suppress cell proliferation and migration, and induce apoptosis. The present results indicate that miR‑125a‑5p may function as a tumor suppressor in RCC. The present study is, to the best of our knowledge, the first to demonstrate the downregulation of miR‑125a‑5p in RCC, and to show the role it has in affecting cellular proliferation, migration and apoptosis. Further research is needed to define the target genes of miR‑125a‑5p and explore the potential of miR‑125a‑5p as a diagnostic or a prognostic biomarker for RCC.