miR-297 acts as an oncogene by targeting GPC5 in lung adenocarcinoma

Objectives Emerging studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in carcinogenesis of many developing human tumours. However, the functions and mechanisms of miR‐297 in lung cancer have, up to now, been largely undefined. Materials and methods Here, miR‐297 expression was measured in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines, using qRT‐PCR. Lung adenocarcinoma cell line was treated with an miR‐297 mimic. MTT and colony analysis were performed to detect cell proliferation and colony formation. The direct target gene of miR‐297 was assessed by qRT‐PCR, Western blotting and luciferase assays. Results We demonstrated that miR‐297 expression was upregulated in lung adenocarcinomas compared to adjacent normal tissues. Expression of miR‐297 was also upregulated in tested lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR‐297 enhanced lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and colony formation. Furthermore, overexpression of miR‐297 promoted cell migration and invasion. In addition, we identified Glypican‐5 (GPC5) as a direct target gene of miR‐297 in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Expression of GPC5 was downregulated in both lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines. Moreover, expression of GPC5 was inversely associated with expression of miR‐297 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. Conclusions These results suggest that miR‐297 acted as an oncogenic miRNA, partly by targeting GPC5, adenocarcinoma of the lung.