Role of miR-486-5p in regulating renal cell carcinoma cell proliferation and apoptosis via TGF-β-activated kinase 1

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common kidney tumor in adults. The role of miR-486-5p in RCC is unknown. The aim of our study was to identify new targets regulated by miR-486-5p in RCC, to obtain a deeper insight into the network and to better understand the role of these microRNAs and their targets in carcinogenesis of RCC. We performed a series of tests and found consistently lower expression levels of miR-486-5p in kidney cancer cells. Restoration of miR-486-5p expression in RCC cells could lead to the suppression of cell proliferation and the increase of cell apoptosis. Further studies demonstrated that TGF-beta-activated kinase 1 was a target gene of miR-486-5p in kidney cancer cells. It was also shown that C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) from tumor-associated macrophages downregulated miR-486-5p expression, and miR-486-5p inhibited RCC cell proliferation and apoptosis resistance induced by CCL2. The study demonstrates that there are potential diagnosis and therapy values of miR-486-5p in RCC.