Abstract
Daniel Onofre Vidal1,2, Anelisa Ramão1,3, Daniel Guariz Pinheiro3, Bruna Rodrigues Muys1,3, Julio Cesar Cetrulo Lorenzi1,3, Cleidson de Pádua Alves1,3, Dalila Luciola Zanette3, Greice Andreotti de Molfetta3, Geraldo Duarte4 and Wilson Araújo Silva Jr1,3,5,6
1Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
2Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, SP, Brazil
3Center for Cell-Based Therapy (CEPID/FAPESP), National Institute of Science and Technology in Stem Cell and Cell Therapy (INCTC/CNPq), Riberão Preto, SP, Brazil
4Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
5Center for Medical Genomics (HCFMRP/USP), Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
6Center for Integrative Systems Biology (CISBi-NAP/USP), Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
Correspondence to:
Wilson Araújo Silva Jr, email: wilsonjr@usp.br
Keywords: human placenta; microRNA; tumorigenesis; miR-451; miR-720
Received: August 31, 2017 Accepted: March 24, 2018 Published: May 04, 2018
ABSTRACT
Despite being a healthy tissue, the constituent cells of the placenta, share similar characteristics with tumor cells, such as increased cell growth, migration, and invasion. However, while these processes are stochastic and uncontrolled in cancer cells, in placenta they are precisely controlled. Since miRNAs have been reported to regulate genes that control the molecular mechanisms necessary for the development of both human placenta and cancer, we addressed for miRNAs highly expressed in the placenta that could be involved in tumorigenesis. Here, we assessed the miRNA profile in placenta samples using microarray analysis. The results showed that miR-451 and miR-720, highly expressed placental miRNAs, presented very low or undetectable expression in cancer cell lines compared to the normal placenta and healthy tissues. Additionally, transfection of miR-451 or miR-720 mimics in choriocarcinoma cell line (JEG3) and colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29) resulted in impaired cell proliferation, decreased cell migration and invasion and reduced ability of colony formation. These findings provide evidence that placenta may work as an alternative model to identify novel miRNAs involved in pathways controlling tumorigenesis.