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Degradation of miR-21 induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Cancer Gene Therapy volume 22, pages 530–535 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, 18–25 nucleotides long and have an important role in post-transcriptional regulation of gene. Several aspects of cellular activities such as cell growth, proliferation and differentiation are regulated by miRNAs. In many cancers and malignancies, up- or downregulation of different miRNAs has been reported. In human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), upregulation of miR-21 has been reported in human in vitro studies. Here, we made an assessment of the effect of miR-21 degradation on viability and apoptosis of HCC cell line (HepG2) using locked nucleic acid (LNA). At different time points (24, 48, 72 h) after LNA-anti-miR-21 transfection, 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and Annexin/propidium iodide staining were performed. The results show that miR-21 degradation can decrease the viability of cells, mainly by induction of apoptosis and necrosis. These findings suggest that degradation of miR-21 could be used as a novel approach in treatment of HCC.

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted with financial support of Science and Research branch of Islamic Azad University and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (Iran).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Z Najafi & G Javadi

  2. Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    M Sharifi

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  1. Z Najafi
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Correspondence to Z Najafi.

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Najafi, Z., Sharifi, M. & Javadi, G. Degradation of miR-21 induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Gene Ther 22, 530–535 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/cgt.2015.51

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