Liposarcoma can be an aggressive, debilitating, and fatal
malignancy. In this study, we identifed
miRNAs associated with the differentiation status of
liposarcoma to gain insight into the basis for its progression.
miRNA expression profiles determined in human
tumors and normal fat specimens identified a dedifferentiated
tumor expression signature consisting of 35
miRNAs. Deregulated
miRNA expression was confirmed in a second independent sample cohort. The miR-155 was the most overexpressed
miRNA and functional investigations assigned an important role in the growth of
dedifferentiated liposarcoma cell lines. Transient or stable knockdown of miR-155 retarded
tumor cell growth, decreased colony formation, and induced G(1)-S cell-cycle arrest in vitro and blocked
tumor growth in murine xenografts in vivo. We identified
casein kinase 1α (CK1α) as a direct target of miR-155 control which enhanced β-
catenin signaling and
cyclin D1 expression, promoting
tumor cell growth. In summary, our results point to important functions for miR-155 and β-
catenin signaling in progression of
liposarcoma, revealing mechanistic vulnerabilities that might be exploited for both prognostic and therapeutic purposes.