miRNA-34a replacement effect on growth and migration inhibition and increasing of Caspase gene expression in HCT116 colon cancer cell line

Colorectal cancer as the most common cancer of the digestive tract is the fourth leading cause of death in the world. According to studies, miRNA-34a (miR-34a) expression declines in colon cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of miR-34a on growth and migration inhibition and apoptosis induction of colon cancer cells.In this experimental study, HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells were used in RPMI1640 medium. MiR-34a transmission into cancer cells was performed by the jetPEI transfection reagent. MTT assay to determine the survival of cancer cells and the qRT-PCR test to confirm the transfer of miR-34a to the cells and also an investigation of the expression of Caspase genes were used. Finally, the Wound healing test in order to investigate the migration status of transfected and control cells was performed. The expression changes of the intended genes in the transfected cells were compared with the control cells using the 2-ΔΔCt method.The MTT test showed that induction of miR-34a causes the death of colorectal cancer cells. Also, the results of the qRT-PCR test revealed a significant increase of miR-34a in the HCT116 transfected cells compared to the control as well as increased expression of Caspase genes in transfected cells. Ultimately, the results of the Wound healing test showed reduced migration of transfected cells compared to the control cells. The study showed that miRNA-34a plays an important role in inhibiting the growth and migration of colon cancer cells and can be a candidate for molecular therapies.