There is growing evidence for a connection between inflammation and tumor development, and the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B), a proinflammatory transcription factor, is hypothesized to promote tumorigenesis. Although the genetic evidence for the hypothesis has been lacking, recent papers have lent credence to this hypothesis. It has been reported that constitutive NF-B activation in inflammatory bowel diseases (

Background & Aims Constitutive activation of NF-κB and STAT3 pathways in human colorectal cancers links inflammation to CRC development and progression. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here we investigated the roles of miR-221 and miR-222 in regulating both NF-κB and STAT3 activities and colorectal tumorigenesis. Methods miR-221/222 mimics and their inhibitors/sponges were transiently or stably transfected into cells. Dual luciferase reporter assays were utilized to examine the activation of both NF-κB and STAT3 signaling, as well as the regulation of miR-221/222. Quantitative PCR and immunoblot analysis were employed to examine the mRNA and protein expression. MTT assay, flow cytometric analysis and xenotransplant of tumor cells were performed to investigate the CRC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Results miR-221 and miR-222 positively regulate both NF-κB and STAT3 activities, which in return induce miR-221/222 expression, creating a positive feedback loop in human CRCs. miR-221/222 directly bind to the coding region of RelA, leading to increased RelA mRNA stability. In addition, miR-221/222 reduce ubiquitination of RelA and STAT3 proteins by directly targeting the 3′ UTR of PDLIM2, an E3 ligase for both RelA and STAT3. We demonstrate that disruption of the positive feedback loop suppresses human CRC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. The expression of miR-221/222 correlates with the expression of RelA, STAT3 and PDLIM2 in human CRC clinical samples. Conclusions Our findings define a novel miR-221/222 mediated mechanism underlying constitutive activation of NF-κB and STAT3 pathways in human CRCs and provide a promising therapeutic target for human CRCs.