MicroRNA-196b promotes cell proliferation and suppress cell differentiation in vitro

•miRNA-196b increases proliferation and blocks differentiation of progenitor cell.•miRNA-196b inhibits apoptosis and increases viability of cells lines.•Forced expression of miR-196b blocks the differentiation of THP1 induced by PMA.

MicroRNA-196b (miR-196b) is frequently amplified and aberrantly overexpressed in acute leukemias. To investigate the role of miR-196b in acute leukemias, it has been observed that forced expression of this miRNA increases proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in human cell lines. More importantly, we show that this miRNA can significantly increase the colony-forming capacity of mouse normal bone marrow progenitor cells alone, as well as partially blocking the cells from differentiation. Taken together, our studies suggest that miRNA-196b may play an essential role in the development of MLL-associated leukemias through inhibiting cell differentiation and apoptosis, while promoting cell proliferation.