Diagnostic Potential of miR-551b-3p in Lung Cancer: In Vitro and In Silico Experiments

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. miRNAs have attracted attention as promising biomarkers in lung cancer diagnosis and prognosis. This study investigated the molecular mechanism of miR-551b-3p in lung cancer cells. The gene expression level of miR-551b-3p was investigated using qRT-PCR in healthy and cancerous lung cell lines. The target genes of miR-551b-3p and its function in cancer pathogenesis were also determined by in silico analyses. miR-551b-3p expression was higher in cancer cells compared to healthy lung cells (p<0.01). The expression level of miR-551b-3p was confirmed in silico in cancerous lung tissue. ERBB4 was identified as a target gene of miR-551b-3p and was down-regulated in cancer cells in comparison to healthy cells. Overexpression of miR-551b-3p and under expression of the ERBB4 gene decreased overall survival in cancer patients. A negative correlation was observed between miR-551b-3p and ERBB4 gene. miR-551b-3p expression was found to be closely associated with clinicopathological factors such as distant metastasis status, lymph node metastasis status and gender. miR-551b-3p target genes were enriched in cancer-related cellular processes. In conclusion, miR-551b-3p may be a potential alternative in treatment strategies as a therapeutic target in lung cancers.