MiR-506-3p inhibits cell proliferation, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in retinoblastoma by directly targeting NEK6.

MicroRNAs (miRs) have been reported to participate in the initiation and progression of retinoblastoma (RB), as the most common primary intraocular malignancy during infancy and childhood worldwide. Recently, miR-506-3p has been reported to be associated with the development of RB, but the expression patterns and biological roles of miR-506-3p in RB have not been studied. In the present study, we found that miR-506-3p was significantly down-regulated in RB tissues and cell lines. Dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-506-3p directly targeted mitosis Gene A (NIMA)-related kinase 6 (NEK6) in RB cells. Enhanced expression of miR-506-3p significantly suppressed cell proliferation, induced G0/G1 cell cycle phase arrest and apoptosis in RB cells, which were attenuated by NEK6 overexpression using MTT assay, colony formation and Flow cytometry analysis. Overall, our results reveal that miR-506-3p functions as a potential tumor suppressor in RB by directly targeting NEK6, suggesting that miR-506-3p may serve as novel therapeutic target for RB patients.