Inhibition of miR-196a affects esophageal cancer cell growth in vitro.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Several oncogenes such as miR-196a have been implicated in the carcinogenesis and progression of EC. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of anti-miR-196a on the growth and survival of human EC cells in vitro. We found that miR-196a was highly expressed in both TE1 and EC109 cells and that miR-196a knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, miR-196a knockdown sensitized EC cells to radiation treatment and chemotherapy. Inhibition of miR-196a also altered cell cycle progression and induced G2/M arrest, which was related to changes in the levels of cyclin B1. ABCG2, which was highly expressed in untransfected EC cells, was inhibited by miR-196a knockdown. Thus, our results confirm the fact that miR-196a is highly involved in the biological behavior of EC progression in vitro. We conclude that miR-196a is a useful biological marker and potential therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of human EC.