MicroRNA-21 promotes proliferation in acute myeloid leukemia by targeting Krüppel-like factor 5.
Abnormal expression of microRNA (miR)-21 has been reported in various types of cancers. However, the role and mechanism of miR-21 remain to be elucidated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In the present study, it was observed that miR-21 was upregulated and Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) was downregulated in AML cells compared with normal bone marrow cells. Dual luciferase reporter assays revealed that KLF5 was a direct target of miR-21. Indeed, miR-21 overexpression resulted in a downregulation of KLF5 expression, while miR-21 inhibition had the opposite effect in AML cells. In addition, miR-21 overexpression promoted the proliferation of AML cells in vitro. Notably, using a mouse xenograft model, miR-21 overexpression was demonstrated to result in enhanced tumor growth and suppressed KLF5 expression in the xenograft tumors in vivo. In conclusion, the present results indicated that miR-21 promoted proliferation through directly regulating KLF5 expression in AML cells. miR-21 may thus serve as an oncogene in AML, providing a potential target for AML therapy.
['Li|Chan|C|', 'Yan|Hua|H|', 'Yin|Jie|J|', 'Ma|Jian|J|', 'Liao|Ang|A|', 'Yang|Shengyou|S|', 'Wang|Lijuan|L|', 'Huang|Yongxiang|Y|', 'Lin|Chon|C|', 'Dong|Zhiqiang|Z|', 'Yang|Bo|B|', 'Cao|Ting|T|', 'Liu|Guo|G|', 'Wang|Lv|L|']
microRNA-21 proliferation acute myeloid leukemia Krüppel-like factor 5