MicroRNA-148a inhibits migration of breast cancer cells by targeting MMP-13.

Breast cancer is a threat to the health of women, and metastasis of breast cancer cells plays an important role in the deterioration of breast cancer. MicroRNAs play a critical role in the tumorigenesis and development of breast cancer. MicroRNA-148a (miR-148a) is associated with the growth and metastasis of tumor cells. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-148a in migration of breast cancer cells as well as the underlying mechanism. MiR-148a was found to inhibit the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. To further explore the mechanism through which miR-148a plays its antitumor role, matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) was identified as a target of miR-148a by western blot and luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, silence of MMP-13 mimicked the effect of miR-148a, whereas overexpression of MMP-13 rescued the impaired migration caused by miR-148a. Our study demonstrates that miR-148a inhibits the migration of breast cancer cells by targeting MMP-13 and also lays theoretical foundation for further exploration for the function of miR-148a.