MTDH and hepatocellular carcinoma: In this study, we used multiple analyses to validate that miR-302c specifically blocks MTDH expression: a microRNA target reporter assay showed that miR-302c directly contacts the MTDH mRNA through matching sequences in the 3′UTR of MTDH; RT-PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence assays demonstrated that the up-regulation of miR-302c in HUVECs led to a marked down-regulation of MTDH; and data from tumor and normal liver tissues of 20 HCC patients demonstrated that the expression of miR-302c negatively correlated with MTDH expression in isolated ECs.