RETRACTED: MicroRNA-383 suppresses cell proliferation and invasion in colorectal cancer by directly targeting paired box 6 (Retracted article. See vol. 28, 2023)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most prevalent cancer and the fourth-most common cause of cancer-associated fatality worldwide. The expression and biological roles of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in tumourigenesis, and their regulatory function in a number of biological processes correlated with cancer have been investigated. miR-383 has been reported to be deregulated in several human cancer types. However, the involvement and effects of miR-383 on CRC progression and its underlying mechanism remain unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine miR-383 expression, investigate the biological functions of miR-383 and identify its mechanism of action in CRC cells. In the present study, miR-383 was significantly downregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. Low miR-383 expression was negatively associated with tumour size, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Function experiments demonstrated that miR-383 upregulation inhibited the proliferation and invasion of CRC cells. Paired box 6 (PAX6) was confirmed as a direct target of miR-383. PAX6 was upregulated in CRC tissues and was negatively correlated with miR-383 expression. Induced PAX6 overexpression effectively rescued the tumour-suppressing roles of miR-383 on CRC cell proliferation and invasion. These findings suggested that miR-383 may act as a tumour suppressor in CRC by directly targeting PAX6 and may serve as a promising therapeutic target for CRC treatment.