The regulatory network of miR-141 in the inhibition of angiogenesis

The miR-200 family, consisting of miR-200a/b/c, miR-141, and miR-429, is well known to inhibit epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer invasion and metastasis. Among the miR-200 family members, miR-200a/b/c and miR-429 have been reported to inhibit angiogenesis. However, the role of miR-141 in angiogenesis remains elusive, as contradicting results have been found in different cancer types and tumor models. Particularly, the effect of miR-141 in vascular endothelial cells has not been defined. In this study, we used several in vitro and in vivo models to demonstrate that miR-141 in endothelial cells inhibits angiogenesis. Additional mechanistic studies showed that miR-141 suppresses angiogenesis through multiple targets, including NRP1, GAB1, CXCL12, TGF2, and GATA6, and bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-141 and its targets comprise a powerful and precise regulatory network to modulate angiogenesis. Taken together, these data not only demonstrate an anti-angiogenic effect of miR-141, further strengthening the critical role of miR-200 family in the process of angiogenesis, but also provides a valuable cancer therapeutic target to control both angiogenesis and EMT, two essential steps in tumor growth and metastasis.