MAPK7 and cancer: Although a high number of oncogenes were predicted to be the putative target of miR-143 shown in internet algorithms, it has only been reported that miR-143 regulated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) expression (Esau et al, 2004; Akao et al, 2006), and downregulation of miR-143 in cancer cells may be directly involved in carcinogenesis through the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade through ERK5.