Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals miR-98-5p as a potential Inhibitor of Tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in Colorectal Cancer by targeting the FZD3 receptor of the Wnt signaling pathway

Abstract Background The World Health Organization (WHO) report of 2020 indicated that Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is ranked the third most common cancer type and the second cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. However, the existing treatment, as well as prognosis strategies, need to be improved to increase the survival of CRC patients. Targeted therapies of CRC as opposed to ordinary therapies; target key biological features and pathways of cancerous cells hence minimizing the subsequent damage to normal cells. MicroRNAs have been reported to play a crucial role in inhibiting and/or suppressing major pathways in various cancer types by targeting transcripts of key genes in such pathways. Methods This study aimed at in silico inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting a key gene – Frizzled receptor 3 (FZD3) in a major pathway of CRC called Wnt signaling; using microRNAs. The in silico analysis revealed that miR-98-5p is a direct target of FZD3, using 5 microarray datasets containing tumorous and control samples. Results Further analysis indicated that miR-98-5p inhibits FZD3 through binding directly to the 3’UTR of its mRNA hence exerting a suppressor role of colorectal tumors through the Wnt pathway. However, these results need to be validated in the future through basic research experiments using CRC cells in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion The study reveals miR-98-5p as a novel target of FZD3 and an inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway hence being a potential candidate for developing targeted therapies against CRC.