SOX2 and cancer: Endogenous miR-145 represses SOX2 expression by directly targeting the 3′-UTR of the SOX2 mRNA to impair the self-renewal capability of ESCs.54 Likewise, miR-200c inhibits the SOX2 expression by directly targeting the conserved binding site of the SOX2 mRNA at the 3′-UTR site, resulting in dysregulated cell cycle and neuronal differentiation.55 In human cancers, loss of miR-638 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells results in increased cell invasive capacity by targeting SOX2 expression.