microRNA-135b promotes cancer progression acting as a downstream effector of oncogenic pathways in colon cancer (Human cell line). Homo sapiens

MicroRNA deregulation is frequent in human colorectal cancers (CRCs) but little is known to whether it represents a bystander event or actually drives tumor progression in vivo. We show that miR-135b over-expression is triggered in mouse and humans by APC loss, PTEN/PI3K pathway deregulation and by SRC over-expression and promotes tumor transformation and progression. We show that miR-135b up-regulation is common to sporadic and inflammatory bowel disease-associated human CRCs and correlates with tumor stage and poor clinical outcome. Inhibition of miR-135b in CRC mouse models reduces tumor growth controlling genes involved in proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. We identify miR-135b as a key down-steam effector of oncogenic pathways and a potential novel target for CRC patient’s treatment. Overall design: RNA was extracted using trizol from normal human colon cell lines comparing scrambled with miR-135b oligos transfected cells