Tumor suppressor miR-211-5p is associated with cellular migration, proliferation and apoptosis in renal cell carcinoma

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that microRNA (miRNA) serve an important role in the tumorigenesis of various types of cancer, such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The expression of miR-211-5p has been detected in RCC tissue by microarray profiling. However, studies regarding miR-211-5p and RCC remain rare. In the present study, the expression of miR-211-5p in RCC tissues and cell lines was revealed to be downregulated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses. The present results also revealed that the upregulation or downregulation of miR-211-5p inhibited or promoted, respectively, RCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In addition, the upregulation or downregulation of miR-211-5p induced or inhibited, respectively, RCC cell apoptosis. However, the present study only identified that downregulation of miR-211-5p promoted 786O and ACHN cell viability. The above results suggest that miR-211-5p may be a tumor suppressor in the tumorigenesis of RCC and may be a potential therapeutic target for RCC in the future. Further research should focus on the underlying mechanism of miR-211-5p in RCC and on investigating the possible use of miR-211-5p as a biomarker for RCC.