KRT19 is regulated by miR-642a-5p and promotes pancreatic cancer progression through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a really poor prognosis, and we urgently need to delve deeper into its molecular mechanisms. In this study, we found that KRT19 expression was significantly increased in PC tissues and cell lines and it was linked to unfavorable outcomes for patients. Overexpression of KRT19 boosted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PC cells. Additionally, miR-374b-5p targets KRT19, inhibiting the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway (WBC), which in turn suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the progression of PC. Further experiments showed that under hypoxic conditions, HIF1α was positively correlated with KRT19, promoting its expression. The loss of miR-642a-5p and the upregulation of KRT19 induced by hypoxia can significantly favor PC progression. Plus, the increased expression of KRT19 might act as a predictive marker and potential target for PC treatment.