Valeri N, Braconi C, Gasparini P, Murgia C, Lampis A, Paulus-Hock V, Hart JR, Ueno L, Grivennikov SI, Lovat F, Paone A, Cascione L, Sumani KM, Veronese A, Fabbri M, Carasi S, Alder H, Lanza G, Gafa' R, Moyer MP, Ridgway RA, Cordero J, Nuovo GJ, Frankel WL, Rugge M, Fassan M, Groden J, Vogt PK, Karin M, Sansom OJ, Croce CM
Cancer Cell. 2014 Apr 14;25(4):469-83. doi: 10.1016/j.ccr.2014.03.006.
MicroRNA deregulation is frequent in human colorectal cancers (CRCs), but little is known as to whether it represents a bystander event or actually drives tumor progression in vivo. We show that miR-135b overexpression is triggered in mice and humans by APC loss, PTEN/PI3K pathway deregulation, and SRC overexpression and promotes tumor transformation and progression. We show that miR-135b upregulation is common in sporadic and inflammatory bowel disease-associated human CRCs and correlates with tumor stage and poor clinical outcome. Inhibition of miR-135b in CRC mouse models reduces tumor growth by controlling genes involved in proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis. We identify miR-135b as a key downsteam effector of oncogenic pathways and a potential target for CRC treatment.