Downregulation of microRNA-206 suppresses clear cell renal carcinoma proliferation and invasion by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor A

MicroRNA-206 (miR-206) has been discovered to have anticancer properties in different tissues. However, the role of miR-206 on renal carcinoma is still ambiguous. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-206 on the development of renal carcinoma. The results indicated that miR-206 was significantly downregulated in 69 clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) tissues and low-level of miR-206 related to shorter metastasis-free survival time for patients with ccRCC. The results indicated that vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) was a direct target of miR-206 in renal cancer cells. Further studies revealed that upregulation of miR-206 inhibited renal cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration, suggesting that miR-206 functioned as a tumor suppressor. RNA interference targeting VEGFA mRNA could mimic the upregulation of miR-206 functions, and also suppressed tumor formation in vivo in nude mice. These results suggest that miR-206 plays an important role in ccRCC tumorigenesis by targeting VEGFA.