MiR-150-5p suppresses high-grade transformation of lacrimal adenoid cystic carcinoma by downregulating COL1A1.

Lacrimal adenoid cystic carcinoma (LACC) is the most common malignant epithelial tumor of the lacrimal gland, with particularly high recurrence and mortality in cases with high-grade transformation (HGT-LACC). This study aims to investigate the functional role of miR-150-5p in regulating the HGT of LACC. MiRNA microarray and proteomic mass spectrometry were performed on paired LACC and HGT-LACC tissues to identify differentially expressed miR-150-5p and its potential target COL1A1. The miR-150-5p/COL1A1 interaction was validated by luciferase reporter assay, and the effects of miR-150-5p on proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were assessed in vitro and in vivo via colony formation, wound healing, Transwell assays, and xenograft models. MiR-150-5p was significantly downregulated in HGT-LACC and correlated with poor prognosis. Overexpression of miR-150-5p suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while its knockdown showed opposite effects. COL1A1 was confirmed as the direct target of miR-150-5p, and COL1A1 restoration counteracted the tumor-suppressive effect of miR-150-5p. In vivo, miR-150-5p overexpression inhibited tumor growth. Overall, our findings demonstrate that miR-150-5p suppresses LACC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT by downregulating COL1A1 expression, thereby functioning as a tumor suppressor. The miR-150-5p-COL1A1 axis provides novel insights into the pathogenesis of LACC and serves as a promising therapeutic target for LACC intervention.