Low-level miR-646 in colorectal cancer inhibits cell proliferation and migration by targeting NOB1 expression.

Aberrant expression of microRNA (miRNA) is important in the progression of various human cancers, however further investigation is required in order to fully elucidate mechanisms of and validate actions of endogenous non-coding RNAs. The present study demonstrated that the expression of miR-646 was downregulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines. Notably, it was observed that miR-646, a tumor suppressor, inhibited colorectal cancer cell progression through directly targeting Nin one binding protein (NOB1) expression, which possesses anti-tumor properties in colorectal cancer. Furthermore, knockdown of NOB1 expression was responsible for the tumor-suppressive effect of miR-646. The findings suggest that miR-646 may act as a therapeutic target for the treatment of colorectal cancer.