We previously reported that
activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), an adaptive response gene, plays a dichotomous role in regulating several molecular processes during
breast cancer progression. ATF3 promoted the expression of runt-related
transcription factor 2 (Runx2, a metastatic gene) and activated
matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13, an invasive gene), thereby fostering proliferation and bone-
metastasis of the
breast cancer cells. Targeting ATF3 may mitigate the metastatic spread of
breast cancer and improve the patient's lifespan. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as
microRNAs (
miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and
circular RNAs (
circRNAs) are the new-era regimens that are currently utilized for diagnosis and treatment of a variety of
malignancies including
cancer. mir-3674 putatively targets ATF3, but its expression was significantly increased in human
breast cancer cells (MDA-MB231), compared to normal human mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A). Our in silico analysis identified a few lncRNAs and
circRNAs showing their putative binding sites for miR-3674. Thus, mir-3674, despite its abundance in the MDA-MB231 cells, could not effectively target ATF3, which could be due to the sponging mechanism of lncRNAs and
circRNAs towards mir-3674. More extensive in vitro and in vivo studies are required to validate this and expand the diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives of
breast cancer.