Multidrug resistance (MDR) remains one of the most significant obstacles in various cancer treatment, and this process often involves dysregulation of the number of micro-RNAs. The aim of this study was to explore the role of miR-4708 on the regulation of MDR-1 expression and the regulation of multidrug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapeutic drugs. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that miR-4708 directly binds MDR-1 3’-UTR and down-regulated reporter luciferase activity. The mRNA and protein expression levels of MDR1 were significantly decreased following miR-4708 overexpression. Additionally, the accumulation of rhodamine-123 in paclitacel resistant FaDu cells following miR-4708 transfection was significantly increased compared with control, indicating that the efflux capacity was reduced. These results demonstrated that miR-4708 could be involved in the regulation of MDR via targeting MDR-1 and may provide a potential strategy for reversing drug resistance in oral cancer.

• 최장열(조선대학교, 치과대학 구강병리학교실,) | Jang-Yeol Choi (Department of Pathology, College of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Rep of Korea)
• 유지원(조선대학교, 치의학전문대학원 구강내과학교실) | Ji-won Ryu (Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Rep of Korea)
• 안상건(조선대학교, 치과대학 구강병리학교실,) | Sang-Gun Ahn (Department of Pathology, College of Dentistry, Chosun University, Gwangju 61452, Rep of Korea) Corresponding author