Tumor suppressor miR-149-5p is associated with cellular migration, proliferation and apoptosis in renal cell carcinoma

Several studies have recently explored the role of microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) in the tumorigenesis of various types of cancer. miRNAs have been reported to be involved in numerous cell processes, including cell apoptosis, proliferation and migration, thus suggesting that miRNAs may have an important role in cancer progression. Downregulation of miR-149-5p has been detected in RCC tissues by microarray profiling; however, its expression and function in RCC has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the expression levels of miR-149-5p in RCC tissues and paired normal tissues. In order to determine whether miR-149-5p was able to regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis or migration, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetra-zolium bromide, flow cytometric and wound healing assays were conducted. The results demonstrated that miR-149-5p was significantly downregulated in RCC tissues compared with in normal tissues (P<0.05). The restoration of miR-149-5p expression using synthetic mimics suppressed cell proliferation and migration, and promoted cell apoptosis. These results indicated that miR-149-5p may act as a tumor suppressor in RCC. The present study is the first, to the best of our knowledge, to identify miR-149-5p as a tumor suppressor in RCC. Future studies will be focused on the potential role of miR-149-5p as a biomarker for the early detection and prognostic prediction of RCC, and as a therapeutic target in RCC. In addition, further exploration regarding the pathways underlying the effects of miR-149-5p in RCC is required.