microRNA-125b inhibits cell migration and invasion by targeting matrix metallopeptidase 13 in bladder cancer

The expression of microRNA-125b (miR-125b) has been investigated in many human cancers. It has been demonstrated to be downregulated in certain types of cancer, such as bladder cancer, thyroid anaplastic carcinomas, squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, hepatocellular carcinoma, ovarian and breast cancer. In the present study, we examined the effects of miR-125b on bladder cancer cell migration and invasion. Following transfection of miR-125b, the expression of miR-125b was analyzed in T24 and EJ bladder cancer cells. Additionally, cell migration, cell invasion and luciferase assays, as well as western blot analysis were conducted in the bladder cancer cells. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-125b inhibited cell migration and invasion in T24 and EJ cells. We also provided the first evidence that miR-125b may directly target matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) in bladder cancer. Our study provided evidence that miR-125b suppresses cell migration and invasion by targeting MMP13 in bladder cancer cell lines. These results suggested that miR-125b could be used for the development of new molecular markers and therapeutic approaches to inhibit bladder cancer metastasis.