鼻咽癌转移是导致患者死亡的重要原因，预测和治疗鼻咽癌转移是临床上急需解决的关键问题，然而鼻咽癌转移相关的microRNA（metastamir）尚未得到系统深入的研究。因此，本课题拟采用microRNA表达谱芯片的方法，筛选鼻咽癌metastamir，深入研究其对转移相关信号通路的调控机制，以及EB病毒对鼻咽癌metastamir的调控作用。另一方面，靶基因3'UTR的可变剪切和多聚腺苷酸化（APA）可逃避microRNA的调控，是癌基因激活的新方式。对鼻咽癌中APA的研究目前尚未见报道。我们拟采用新一代测序技术检测鼻咽癌中转移相关信号通路基因的APA现象，探讨其对microRNA调控作用的影响，及在鼻咽癌转移中的作用。本研究将系统、深入地探讨microRNA介导的基因转录后调控在鼻咽癌转移中的作用，以期为预测鼻咽癌转移和基于microRNA的靶向药物的开发提供分子靶点和重要的理论基础。

Metastasis is the major cause of death for the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Efficient methods for the prediction and treatment of metastatic NPC are sorely needed. However, few studies have been conducted in microRNAs associated with tumor metastasis (named "metastamir") in NPC. Therefore, we sought to determine metastamirs for NPC using microRNA expression profiling array method. We will further investigate the regulation mechanisms of signaling pathways mediated by microRNAs, and the interaction between EBV genes and metastamirs. On the other hand, a new mechanism of oncogene activation was found through the loss of miRNA regulation by the alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) in 3'UTR of target genes. However, no study has been conducted to investigate APA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma to date. Therefore, we proposed to study the 3'UTR shortening in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by using the cutting-edge Next-Generation RNA sequencing technology,the 3'READS technology. It is interesting to know how APA interferes miRNA mediated NPC metastasis. All together, this study proposed here will systematically investigate the mechanisms of metastmirs in NPC, which might not only provide a new target for drug design for the treatment of metastatic NPC , but also put insights on better understanding of microRNA in the tumor metastasis.