Expression of microRNA-452 via adenoviral vector inhibits non-small cell lung cancer cells proliferation and metastasis.

The microRNA miR-452 has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor. However, the cellular mechanism and potential application of miR-452-mediated cancer suppression remain great unknown. This study aims to identify how miR-452 acts in regulating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) proliferation and metastasis. Expression of miR-452 via adenoviral (Ad) vector inhibits the proliferation, invasion, and migration of NSCLC cells A549 or H460. Our data also shows that miR-452 down-regulates the expression of Bmi-1 as well as pro-survival or anti-apoptosis regulators Survivin, cIAP-1, and cIAP-2. By such gene interference, miR-452 modulates NSCLC cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and further disrupts their migration and invasion. Moreover, miR-452 blocks the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, which is also required for EMT process. These data reveal that miR-452 treatment could be a novel target or strategy for NSCLC treatment.