MicroRNA 483-3p suppresses the expression of DPC4/Smad4 in pancreatic cancer

Both deregulation of tumor-suppressor genes and misexpression of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the development of pancreatic cancer, but their relationship during this process remains less clear. Here, we report that the expression of miR-483-3p is strongly enhanced in pancreatic cancer tissues compared to side normal tissues using a miRNA-array differential analysis. Furthermore, DPC4/Smad4 is identified as a target of miR-483-3p and their expression levels are inversely correlated in human clinical specimens. Ectopic expression of miR-483-3p significantly represses DPC4/Smad4 protein levels in pancreatic cancer cell lines, and simultaneously promotes cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro. Our findings identify miR-483-3p as a potent regulator of DPC4/Smad4, which may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of DPC4/Smad4-driven pancreatic cancer.