MiR-10b inhibits migration and invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via regulating E2F7

Background Abnormal microRNAs (miRNAs) expression is closely related to the development and poor prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We aimed to elucidate the invasive mechanism and clinical significance of miR-10b in PDAC. Methods The RNA sequence data of pancreatic cancer were extracted from the TCGA database. R packages were performed to analyze the differential expression of RNAs. TargetScan, picTar, and miRanda were used to predict the target gene of miRNA. The expression level of the selected candidate was tested by western blot and RT-PCR in PDAC cells and tissues. Scrape and Transwell assays were determined the effect of candidate molecules on cell migration and invasion. The gain of function and loss of function was achieved by co-culture with mimics and vector. Luciferase reporters were generated based on the psiCHECK2 vector. The relative luciferase activity was measured with the Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System and Infinate M200 PRO microplate reader. Results Based on the TCGA data and bioinformatics analysis, we obtained seven differentially expressed miRNAs. Both TCGA data and our center clinical date indicated that miR-10b was contributed to the poor survival of PDAC. Based on the target gene prediction database, we found that E2F7 was a target mRNA of miR-10b. In subsequent experiments in molecular biology, miR-10b expression was downregulated in PDAC cells and tissues, while E2F7 was upregulated. Scrape and Transwell assay indicated that miR-10b could inhibit the invasion and migration of PDAC. MiR-10b was confirmed to be by the E2F7 targeting site by dual-luciferase report. Moreover, rescue experiments prove that miR-10b could inhibit the invasion and migration of PDAC cells by regulating E2F7 expression. Conclusion Our results suggest that miR-10b could inhibit the progression of PDAC by regulating E2F7 expression and acts as an independent prognostic risk factor for PDAC.