Mechanistically, deregulated overexpression of miR-424 suppresses posttranslational silencing of the E3 ubiquitin ligase COP1, resulting into reduced STAT3 degradation and thus enhancing cancer initiation and stemness features in prostate epithelial cells and further knockdown of miR-424 revert COP1-mediated degradation of STAT3. This evidence concerns the gene COP1 and cancer.