miR ‐200a‐3p Targets and Downregulates CDC25B Expression to Inhibit the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Cancer originates from the uncontrolled proliferation of normal cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that CDC25B, a cell cycle‐regulating phosphatase, is overexpressed in various tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma, and its expression level may serve as a prognostic biomarker. The present study investigated the upstream miRNA regulators of CDC25B and demonstrated that their interactions can inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Here, stable hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines overexpressing or knocking down CDC25B were established using lentiviral vectors. The effects of CDC25B expression on the invasive phenotype of hepatocellular carcinoma cells were analyzed using plate cloning, scratch assays, and Transwell assays, and a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model in mice was established to evaluate the impact of CDC25B on tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, dual‐luciferase reporter assays were used to validate the targeted regulatory relationship between miR‐200a‐3p and CDC25B, while miR‐200a‐3p mimics and inhibitors were employed to elucidate the specific downstream mechanisms. We found that high expression of CDC25B significantly enhanced the epithelial–mesenchymal transition process, thereby accelerating the proliferation, invasion, and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, whereas CDC25B knockdown exerted the opposite effects. In vivo tumorigenicity experiments in nude mice confirmed that overexpression of CDC25B promoted tumor growth. In addition, the dual‐luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR‐200a‐3p specifically targets and downregulates CDC25B expression, thereby inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma progression.