MiR-221 is frequently upregulated in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) tissues and cell lines, and this study was designed to validate the association of miR-221 with PTC proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. We observed that miR-221 suppressed TIMP3 expression by binding to 3′ untranslated region of TIMP3 mRNA, and TIMP3 expression was increased with the presence of miR-221 inhibitors; TIMP3 siRNA could reverse the effects of miR-221 inhibitors on PTC cells. The results indicated that miR-221 exacerbated PTC by downregulating the expression of TIMP3. The effects of miR-221 and TIMP3 in vivo were also confirmed by human PTC-bearing mice models which suggest consistent results with those in vitro studies. In summary, miR-221 could aggravate cell proliferation and invasion of PTC by targeting TIMP3.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.