Changes in mir-143 expression have frequently been implicated in cancer. However the exact nature of this relationship is not fully understood. The up-regulation of mir-143 was observed in a hepatocellular carcinoma model during tumor metastasis through repression of FNDC38. However decreased expression of mir-143 and 145 have been observed in cancer samples. Expression was shown to be decreased in a range of cancer stages, including in very early samples. This suggests that they are involved in tumorgenesis. A modified version of mir-143 (mir-143BP) with greater activity and resistance to nuclease was shown to have a tumor-suppressive effect on colorectal cancer cells. Recent studies with miR-143, in combination with miR-506 has shown to be effective in blocking cell cycle progression of lung cancer cell lines. Moreover, this combination treatment reduces angiogenesis. This makes miR-143 a candidate for RNA medicine for treatment of tumors.
