MicroRNA-30e-3p inhibits cell invasion and migration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma by targeting Snail1

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of neoplasm affecting the adult kidney. Previous studies on ccRCC have focused on microRNAs, a class of small non-coding RNAs that are important in cancer development and progression. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of microRNA (miR)-30e-3p in ccRCC. The results revealed that overexpression of miR-30e-3p in the A498 and 786O ccRCC cell lines was able to inhibit cell invasion and migration. The expression level of Snail1, a potential target gene of miR-30e-3p, was inversely correlated with miR-30e-3p expression in ccRCC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, Snail1 was revealed to be directly regulated by miR-30e-3p and had an important role in mediating the biological effects of miR-30e-3p in ccRCC. Restoration of Snail1 expression was able to reverse the inhibitory properties of miR-30e-3p. Therefore, the results of the current study suggest that miR-30e-3p exerts its anticancer functions through direct targeting of Snail1 in ccRCC cells, and may be a novel therapeutic agent for this form of cancer.