MiR-361-5p acts as a tumor suppressor in prostate cancer by targeting signal transducer and activator of transcription-6(STAT6)

•The role of miR-361-5p in prostate cancer (PCa) has not been evaluated until date.•We found that the expression of miR-361-5p in CRPC was lower than in ADPC.•MiR-361-5p suppressed DU145 cell proliferation and triggered apoptosis.•STAT6 is a direct target of miR-361-5p.•STAT6 enhances the expression of Bcl-xL at the transcriptional level. Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), whose pathogenesis is known to be regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs), has a poor prognosis. In our present study, we found that the expression of miR-361-5p in CRPC was lower than in androgen-dependent prostate cancer (ADPC), indicating that miR-361-5p may play an important role in the progression of ADPC to CRPC. The role of miR-361-5p in prostate cancer (PCa) has not been evaluated until date. Our findings suggest that miR-361-5p is a suppressor in CRPC. Signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (STAT6), a direct target of miR-361-5p, enhances the expression of B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), while miR-361-5p inhibits its expression through STAT6. Therefore, miR-361-5p has great clinical significance in preventing the malignant progression of PCa.