microRNA-200a is an independent prognostic factor of hepatocellular carcinoma and induces cell cycle arrest by targeting CDK6

Deregulation of microRNA-200a (miR-200a) has been observed in different types of diseases, including cancers. However, the exact roles of miR-200a in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still largely unknown. We aimed to elucidate the prognostic implications of miR-200a and its biological function in HCC. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate miR-200a expression. Western blotting was performed to evaluate the protein level. Gain-of-function studies were performed to evaluate the roles of miR-200a in HCC. Our results revealed that miR-200a was frequently downregulated in HCC. In addition, multivariate analysis confirmed that miR-200a was significantly associated with the overall survival of HCC patients. In vitro assays demonstrated that miR-200a suppressed the proliferation of HCC cells by induction of G1 phase arrest. Furthermore, CDK6 was identified as a novel functional target of miR-200a. Our data indicate that miR-200a functions as a potential tumor suppressor in HCC.