MiR-143-3p inhibits the proliferation, cell migration and invasion of human breast cancer cells by modulating the expression of MAPK7.

Micro-RNAs have been reported to play crucial roles in a diversity of cellular processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation and development by regulating the expression of specific genes. They have also been shown to play vital roles in several diseases such as cancer. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-143-3p in breast cancer. Our results showed that the expression of miR-143-3p is significantly downregulated in breast cancer cells. Upregulation of miR-143-3p inhibited the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. Conversely, inhibition of miR-143-3p promoted the proliferation of cancer cells. Bioinformatics analysis and other several experiments revealed MAPK7 as the potential target of miR-143-3p. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that the expression of MAPK7 correlated well with the expression of miR-143. Moreover, the inhibition of MAPK 7 in breast cancer cells abrogated the effects of miR-143 indicating that miR-143-3p-exerted effects on breast cancer are mediated by MAPK7. Takentogether, these results provide strong clues about the therapeutic potential of miR-143-3p in the treatment of breast cancer.