Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer and has a poor prognosis. miR-302a is an important regulator of tumor occurrence and deterioration, while MAP3K2 and PBX3 genes are involved in cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis.
In vitro and in vivo studies further revealed that miR-320a could function as an antitumour miRNA by binding to its direct downstream target PBX3 to suppress HCC cell proliferation, migration and metastasis.
Taken together, our findings suggest that miR-33a-3p suppressed the malignant phenotype while also inhibiting PBX3 expression in hepatocellular cancer, implying that miR-33a-3p may be a promising biomarkers and therapy target for HCC intervention.