{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T14:54:39Z","timestamp":1789656879888,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,19]],"date-time":"2025-06-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750291200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004773","name":"Second-level Scientific Research Startup Fund of Henan University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["S23009Y"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["S23009Y"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004773","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cells"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Esophageal cancer (ESCA) is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite the significant impact, the molecular mechanisms underlying its initiation and progression remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified mircoRNA miR-193b-3p as a critical regulator of ESCA progression and the Remodeling and Spacing Factor 1 (RSF1) as an essential target of miR-193b-3p. Analysis of the TCGA_ESCA dataset and RT-qPCR experiments revealed that RSF1 levels are significantly elevated in ESCA and inversely correlated with miR-193b-3p levels. Using a dual-luciferase reporter assay, as well as transfection of miR-193-3p mimics or inhibitors, we confirmed RSF1 as a direct target of miR-193b-3p in ESCA cells. Transfection of miR-193b-3p suppresses ESCA cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. These effects were partially reversed by exogenous RSF1 expression. Injection of AgomiR-193b-3p into mice bearing ESCA xenografts impeded tumor growth. These findings underscore the critical role of the miR-193b-3p\/RSF1 axis in esophageal cancer progression.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cells14120928","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,19]],"date-time":"2025-06-19T09:57:48Z","timestamp":1750327068000},"page":"928","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["MicroRNA miR-193b-3p Regulates Esophageal Cancer Progression Through Targeting RSF1"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Yao","family":"Lin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xudong","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China"},{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhenhua","family":"Du","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhili","family":"Jia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Siyu","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gengsheng","family":"Cao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2414-0609","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hengbin","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"209","DOI":"10.3322\/caac.21660","article-title":"Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries","volume":"71","author":"Sung","year":"2021","journal-title":"CA A Cancer J. 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