These results suggest miR-126 function as a potential tumor suppressor in colon cancer progression and miR-126/RhoA/ROCK may be a novel candidate for developing rational therapeutic strategies.
We found that 67 miRNA precursors are upregulated in rectal cancer (p<0.05) and 21 of those have never been reported in colorectal cancer (CRC); 39 miRNA precursors are downregulated (p<0.05) and 24 novel dysregulated miRNAs were identified in rectal cancer. miR-31, miR-126 and miR-143 are differentially expressed between colon cancer and rectal cancer.
In the current study, using micro(RNA) arrays, we found a ubiquitous loss of miR-126 expression in colon cancer lines when compared to normal human colon epithelia.