HCMV-encoded miR-UL112-3p promotes glioblastoma progression via tumour suppressor candidate 3

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent and lethal type of primary malignant brain tumour. Recent studies suggest that the discovery of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) might play a role in the pathogenesis of diseases, including GBM. In this study, we aimed to analyse the expression and function of HCMV-encoded miRNAs in GBM. We found that miR-UL112-3p expression was significantly elevated in GBM, and its expression levels were highly associated with glioma size, differentiation, WHO stage and the overall and disease-free survival of patients. The overexpression of miR-UL112-3p in the GBM cells promoted cell proliferation, clone formation, migration and invasion. In contrast, the down-regulation of miR-UL112-3p exerted an inverse effects. Tumour suppressor candidate 3 (TUSC3), a potential target gene of miR-UL112-3p, was inversely correlated with miR-UL112-3p expression in GBM tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TUSC3 was directly regulated by miR-UL112-3p, and the ectopic expression of TUSC3 reversed the effects of miR-UL112-3p on GBM progression via the AKT signalling pathway. Taken together, these findings collectively demonstrate that miR-UL112-3p exerts its oncogene function by directly targeting TUSC3 in GBM, indicating a potential novel therapeutic target for GBM.