hsa-miR-96 up-regulates MAP4K1 and IRS1 and may function as a promising diagnostic marker in human bladder urothelial carcinomas.

Numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in cancer development. In this study, we report that hsa-miR-96 is expressed at higher levels in human bladder urothelial carcinomas compared to normal tissues. We found that hsa-miR-96 increased invasion and differentiation of human bladder T24 cells and promoted their growth. Down‑regulation of hsa-miR-96 significantly affected the phenotype of bladder cancer T24 cells. The mRNA and protein levels of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and MAP4K1 were significantly reduced in cells transfected with the hsa-miR-96 inhibitor when compared with levels in cells transfected with the empty plasmid vector or the negative control miRNA inhibitor. Altogether, these results suggest that hsa-miR-96 may affect the growth of bladder cancer cells by up-regulating IRS1 and MAP4K1 levels, functioning as a promising diagnostic marker in human bladder urothelial carcinomas.