Effect of miR-105-5p on Cell Proliferation, Colony Formation, and hTERT/P53/P21 Gene Expression in Multiple Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Aim: MicroRNAs are small endogenous RNA molecules that do not code for proteins but have the capacity to influence cancer development by promoting or inhibiting it. They play normal biological roles in regulating cell metabolism, development, apoptosis, and metastasis. While numerous studies on the functional mechanisms of miRNAs exist, there is limited research in the literature on miR-105-5p, a member of the miR-105 family. This study investigated the effects of miR-105-5p on cell proliferation, colony formation, and the expression of hTERT, P21, and P53 genes in five cancer cell lines: A549 (lung), Huh7 (liver), HCT116 (colon), MCF-7 (breast), and HeLa (cervix). Method: The expression of miR-105-5p was both upregulated and downregulated through transfection in the selected cancer cell lines. After transfection, assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, colonyforming ability, and the expression of the hTERT, P21, and P53 genes. Results: Overexpression of miR-105-5p inhibited proliferation in all cancer cell lines. miR-105-5p suppressed colony formation in A549, MCF-7, HeLa, and Huh7 cells. Differences in the expression levels of hTERT, P53, and P21 genes were observed in different cell lines due to the effect of the miR-105-5p mimic. Conclusion: Direct or indirect differences in hTERT gene expression levels suggest that miR-105-5p may be useful in targeted therapy.