microRNA-200a is an independent prognostic factor of hepatocellular carcinoma and induces cell cycle arrest by targeting CDK6.

Deregulation of microRNA‑200a (miR‑200a) has been observed in different types of diseases, including cancers. However, the exact roles of miR‑200a in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still largely unknown. We aimed to elucidate the prognostic implications of miR‑200a and its biological function in HCC. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate miR‑200a expression. Western blotting was performed to evaluate the protein level. Gain-of-function studies were performed to evaluate the roles of miR‑200a in HCC. Our results revealed that miR‑200a was frequently downregulated in HCC. In addition, multivariate analysis confirmed that miR‑200a was significantly associated with the overall survival of HCC patients. In vitro assays demonstrated that miR‑200a suppressed the proliferation of HCC cells by induction of G1 phase arrest. Furthermore, CDK6 was identified as a novel functional target of miR‑200a. Our data indicate that miR‑200a functions as a potential tumor suppressor in HCC.