MicroRNA-205 suppresses the invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human gastric cancer cells

Distant metastasis is the predominant pattern of gastric cancer (GC) recurrence, and is the most common cause of cancer-associated mortality. Accumulating evidence has suggested that aberrant activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition has a crucial role in the genesis, invasion and metastasis of various types of cancer, including GC. Using Cell Counting kit-8 and Transwell assays, the effects of microRNA (miR)-205 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of NCI-H87 GC cells were determined, and the potential underlying mechanisms were explored. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-205, which has been reported to function as a tumor suppressor in various types of cancer, significantly suppressed the migration and invasion of GC cells, which may be correlated with its suppressive effects on EMT. Upon transfection with miR-205, the epithelial marker CDH1 (E-cadherin) was upregulated, and the mesenchymal markers CDH2 (N-cadherin) and vimentin were suppressed. Furthermore, zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox factor-1 (ZEB1) was identified as a putative target gene of miR-205 in GC, which may be associated with its suppressive effects. The results of the present study may provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic options for the treatment of human GC.