Upregulation of microRNA-224 sensitizes human cervical cells Silla to paclitaxel

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the drug resistant role of miR-224 expression in cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: The expression of miR-224 pre- and post-paclitaxel treatment was determined by using stem-loop real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The authors exogenously upregulated miR-224 expression in SiHa cells using miRIDIAN miR-224 mimic transfection and observed its impact on paclitaxel sensitivity using Cytotoxicity assays. Results: MiR-224 was significantly downregulated with fold values at 2.130435 and 4.26087 under five and ten nM paclitaxel treatments, respectively. MiR-224 expression is markedly increased in SiHa cells after transfected with miRIDIAN miR-224 mimic. Exogenous miR-224 facilitates paclitaxel sensitivity in cervical cancer cells. The IC50 value was decreased in SiHa with overexpression of miR-224 compared with miRNA-negative control (p <0.0001). Conclusion: The results suggests that miR-224 might serve as a predictor for paclitaxel response or a therapeutic target in cervical cancer therapy.