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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we demonstrated that miR-502 significantly inhibits HCC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo . G1/S cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of HCC cells were induced by miR-502. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase catalytic subunit gamma (PIK3CG) was identified as a direct downstream target of miR-502 in HCC cells. Notably, overexpression of PIK3CG reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-502 in HCC cells. Our findings suggest that miR-502 functions as a tumor suppressor in HCC via inhibition of PI3KCG, supporting its utility as a promising therapeutic gene target for this tumor type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant miR-629–5p expression in several cancer types has been reported. Nonetheless, its potential effect and mechanism of action on tumor growth and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have rarely been analyzed. In this study, we found that miR-629–5p was upregulated in HCC tissue samples as compared to matched adjacent-tissue samples. Overexpression of miR-629–5p promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of human HCC cells in vitro , whereas miR-629–5p knockdown reduced these parameters. Consistently, miR-629–5p overexpression accelerated tumor growth and metastasis in a nude mouse model. Mechanistically, miR-629–5p directly targeted the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2) mRNA and suppressed its expression, resulting in the activation of β-catenin. Inhibition of β-catenin abrogated miR-629-5p–induced growth and invasiveness. Collectively, these results suggest that miR-629–5p activates β-catenin signaling by downregulating SFRP2 and thus promotes the growth and metastasis of HCC. These data open up new prospects for HCC treatment. • miR-629–5p is overexpressed in HCC. • miR-629–5p promotes HCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro. • miR-629–5p promotes tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. • SFRP2 is a direct target of miR-629–5p. • miR-629–5p promotes β-catenin activity in HCC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]