MicroRNA-125b promotes invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer by targeting STARD13 and NEU1

MicroRNAs have been documented playing key roles in cancer development and progression. Here, we investigate the role of miR-125b in gastric cancer metastasis. We found that the expression of miR-125b was up-regulated in gastric cancer tissue specimens compared with their corresponding nontumorous tissues, and the up-regulated miR-125b level was significantly associated with TNM stage and lymph node-metastasis. Overexpression of miR-125b promoted gastric cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo. STARD13 and NEU1 were identified as direct target genes of miR-125b by luciferase assays, and they were involved in the cell migration and invasion regulated by miR-125b in gastric cancer. Taken together, miR-125b functions as an oncogene in gastric cancer and represents a new potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.