Patients with the RCC were characterized by significantly upregulated tumor tissue mean levels of miR-15a compared to the healthy controls: 0.10 ± 2.62 relative units (RU) versus 4.84E - 03 ± 3.11E - 03 RU (p < 0.001).
Luciferase assays revealed that miR-15a directly targeted the binding site of the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of eIF4E, and inhibited its expression at both mRNA and protein levels. eIF4E expression was negatively associated with miR-15a expression in RCC tissues. eIF4E overexpression treatment partially abrogated the inhibitory effect of miR-15a on cell proliferation and invasion, as well as inactivated P13K/AKT/mTOR signaling in RCC cells.
Further research will be performed to investigate the underlying signaling pathway of miR‑15a‑5p and the potential role of miR‑15a‑5p as a biomarker for early detection, prognosis prediction and a therapeutic target of RCC.