MicroRNAs (
miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that are closely associated with
cancer progression and drug resistance, however, up until now, the involvement of miR-556-5p in regulating
cisplatin-sensitivity in
non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been studied. In the present study, we found that miR-556-5p was significantly upregulated in the
cisplatin-resistant NSCLC (CR-NSCLC) patients' tissues and cells, instead of the corresponding
cisplatin-sensitive NSCLC (CS-NSCLC) tissues and cells. Further experiments validated that knock-down of miR-556-5p suppressed cell viability and
tumorigenesis, and induced cell apoptosis in the
cisplatin-treated CR-NSCLC cells, and conversely, upregulation of miR-556-5p increased
cisplatin-resistance in CS-NSCLC cells. Interestingly, miR-556-5p ablation triggered pyroptotic cell death in
cisplatin-treated CR-NSCLC cells via upregulating NLRP3, and the promoting effects of miR-556-5p silence on
cisplatin-sensitivity in CR-NSCLC cells were abrogated by both cell pyroptosis inhibitor NSA and NLRP3 downregulation. Taken together, this study firstly evidenced that induction of NLRP3-mediated cell pyroptosis by miR-556-5p downregulation was effective to increase
cisplatin-sensitivity in NSCLC, which provided new
therapy strategies to overcome chemo-resistance for NSCLC patients in clinic.