miR-26b-5p Inhibits the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Human Papillary Thyroid Cancer in a β-Catenin-Dependent Manner

miR-26b-5p is reported to be involved in the progression of multiple cancers, but its function and mechanism in human papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remain unknown. We aimed to uncover the function and mechanism of miR-26b-5p in PTC. We performed qRT-PCR to detect the differences in miR-26b-5p expression between normal tissue and PTC. In vitro, we established cell lines stably overexpressing miR-26b-5p and investigated the function and underlying mechanism of miR-26b-5p in PTC. miR-26b-5p was downregulated in PTC compared with normal tissue. miR-26b-5p was correlated with the clinical stage. miR-26b-5p inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of PTC cell lines. We next detected EMT and proliferation markers. miR-26b-5p was shown to exert its function in a β-catenin-dependent manner. Taken together, our results showed that miR-26b-5p inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT by degrading β-catenin.