MicroRNA-137 inhibits cell migration and invasion by targeting bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7) in non-small cell lung cancer cells

MicroRNA-137 (miR-137) was reported to be dysregulated in several human cancers. However, the function and mechanism of miR-137 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unclear. In the current study, we explored the role of miR-137 in NSCLC progression. Using qRT-PCR, our data showed that miR-137 was significantly down-regulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. In vitro functional assay, we found that over-expression of miR-137 suppressed NSCLC cells proliferation, migration and invasion, indicating that miR-137 could act as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC progression. In addition, bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7) was identified as a target of miR-137 in NSCLC cells, Luciferase reporter assay suggested that miR-137 directly targeted 3’-UTR of BMP7, and correlation analysis revealed that BMP7 inversely correlated with miR-137 in NSCLC tissues. Furthermore, Restoration of BMP7 remarkably reversed the tumor suppressive effects of miR-137 on NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Taken together, our findings suggested that miR-137/BMP7 axis could contribute to the progression of NSCLC, suggesting miR-137 as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.