Figure 10. Study hypothesis and design. (A) We hypothesized that miR-148a inhibits the secretion of VEGF and Mcl-1 through the inactivation of HIF-1α by directly targeting ROCK1 and c-Met. This induced the apoptosis of and reduced angiogenesis in cancer cells. (B) In vitro, we transfected miR-148a into HCT116 and HT29 cells and established stable CRC clones. The luciferase reporter assay was performed to prove the direct targeting of ROCK1 and c-Met by miR-148a. The protein levels of HIF-1α, Mcl-1, ROCK1, and Met were examined through Western blotting, and the mRNA levels of ROCK1 and c-Met were tested through RT-PCR. The cell viability assay was used to examine the apoptosis.