MicroRNA-488 inhibits ovarian cancer cell metastasis through regulating CCNG1 and p53 expression

Objective The roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been widely exploited in cancer. MiRNAs have become a potential breakthrough in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Here, the regulatory mechanism of microRNA-488 (miR-488) was investigated in ovarian cancer (OC). Patients and methods The expression levels of miR-488 and CCNG1 (Cyclin G1) were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot assays. Transwell assay and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were used to clarify the effect of miR-488 on cell metastasis. The dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the relation between miR-488 and CCNG1. Results The expression of miR-488 was reduced in OC, which was associated with poor clinical outcomes and prognosis in OC patients. MiR-488 inhibited cell metastasis in OC by blocking EMT and promoting tumor suppressor p53 expression. In addition, CCNG1 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-488. Upregulation of CCNG1 impaired the inhibitory effect of miR-488 in OC. Conclusions MiR-488 serves as a tumor inhibitor in OC by suppressing cell metastasis, indicating that miR-488 has a great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of OC.