RESEARCH ARTICLE Functions of MiRNA-128 on the Regulation of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Growth and Apoptosis

Background Incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has continuously in-creased in past years while its survival rate has not been significantly improved. There is a critical need to better understand the genetic regulation of HNSCC tumorigenesis and pro-gression. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the function of miRNA-128 (miR-128) in the regulation of HNSCC growth and its putative targets in vitro and in vivo systems. Methods The function and targets of miR-128 were investigated in human HNSCC cell lines (JHU-13 and JHU-22), which were stably transfected with the miR-128 gene using a lentiviral deliv-ery system. The expression levels of miR-128 and its targeted proteins were analyzed with qRT-PCR, Western blotting and flow cytometry. The binding capacity of miRNA-128 to its putative targets was determined using a luciferase report assay. MTT, colony formation, and a tumor xenograft model further evaluated the effects of miR-128 on HNSCC growth. Result