LncRNA HOXA11-AS accumulation-induced microRNA-761 downregulation regulates cell growth by targeting TRIM29 in papillary thyroid cancer.

Increasing evidence demonstrate that dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). However, the specific miR-761 in cancer remains largely unknown. In this study, we reported for the first that miR-761 expression was down-regulated in PTC tissues and cell lines, and its decrease was associated with tumor size and TNM stage. Gain- and loss-of function experiments revealed that miR-761 inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation and cell cycle progression in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, TRIM29 was identified as a direct downstream target of miR-761 in PTC cells and mediated the functional effects of miR-761 in PTC. Restoration of TRIM29 expression at least partially abolished the biological effects of miR-761 on PTC cells. Furthermore, overexpression of lncRNA HOXA11-AS was inversely correlated with miR-761 expression in PTC tissues. LncRNA HOXA11-AS could modulate the miR-761 expression and regulate cellular behaviors. Taken together, this research supports the first evidence that lncRNA HOXA11-AS-reguated miR-761 plays a functional role in inhibiting PTC progression by targeting TRIM29 and represent a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with PTC. AJTR