MicroRNAs (
miRNAs) are a class of naturally occurring, small, non-coding RNAs that target
protein-coding mRNAs at the post-transcriptional level and participate in various biological processes. Our previous studies suggested that miR-143-3p functions as a
tumor suppressor and has a role in the progression of
ovarian cancer, in part through the regulation of the
tumor promoter. In this study, we found that the
mRNA expression level of miR-143-3p was significantly decreased in
ovarian cancer tissues, in comparison with normal ovarian tissues by high-throughput
miRNA profiling and quantitative RT-PCR. Secondly, we indicated that the up-regulation of miR-143-3p in the
ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3, ES2, and OVCAR3 significantly reduced their proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, miR-143-3p inhibited the growth of ovarian
tumors in vivo in a xenograft experiment. In addition, miR-143-3p down-regulated the expression of
transforming growth factor (TGF)-β-activated
kinase 1 (TAK1) in human
ovarian cancer cells. Therefore, our study indicates that miR-143-3p inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of
ovarian cancer cells in vitro, as well as ovarian
tumorigenesis in vivo. This inhibitory effect may target TAK1, suggesting a potential application of the miR-143-3p-TAK1 pathway in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of
ovarian cancer.