Among the 25 identified targets from 5 databases (Additional file 1: Table S3), we checked the mRNA expression of cancer metastasis or angiogenesis related genes including VASH1 [12], USP54 [23], WASF3 [24], GABRB3 [25], IGFBP5 [26], and HK2 [27] in cells transfected with miR-143-3p. This evidence concerns the gene VASH1 and cancer.