MicroRNA-181a enhances the chemotherapeutic sensitivity of chronic myeloid leukemia to imatinib

MicroRNA-181 (miR-181) has been recently demonstrated to participate in the differentiation and development of immune cells, including natural killer cells and B and T lymphocytes, and myeloid linages, including erythroid and megakaryocytic cells. The aberrant expression of miR-181, particularly low expression levels, has been observed in a number of leukemia types, including B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and cytogenetically abnormal acute myeloid leukemia. However, the expression and function of miR-181 in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) remains unknown. In the present study, the aberrant expression of miR-181a was analyzed in a patient with CML and in the CML K562 cell line. In addition, the function and potential mechanisms of miR-181a in K562 cells with regard to their chemotherapeutic sensitivity to imatinib were investigated. The expression levels of miR-181a were significantly reduced in the patient with CML and in the CML K562 cell line. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR-181a in the K562 cells enhanced the chemotherapeutic sensitivity of these cells to imatinib. The potential mechanism mediating these effects may be associated with the capacity of miR-181a to inhibit cell growth and/or to induce cells apoptosis and differentiation in K562 cells. The results of the present study suggested that miR-181a may be a target for the treatment of CML and a useful indicator of the therapeutic sensitivity of CML to imatinib.