Background: The roles and related mechanism of miR-376a in breast cancer cell progression are unclear. 
Methods: Kaplan-Meier plotter analysis was used to analyze the correlation between miR-376a and the overall survival (OS) of breast cancer patients. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect miR-376a level in breast cancer cells. Cell viability, transwell migration and invasion, and cell apoptosis were constructed to investigate the effects of miR-376a on breast cancer cells. Luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were used to explore the targeting of miR-376a on NRP-1. 
Results: miR-376a expression was positively correlated with the overall survival of breast cancer patients, and significantly decreased in breast cancer cells. Functionally, miR-376a overexpression suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cells apoptosis. Additionally, miR-376a could directly target NRP-1 and exerted its effect through NRP-1. 
Conclusion: miR-376a could suppress breast cancer cell progression via directly targeting NRP-1.
Keywords: miR-376a, NRP-1, breast cancer, Wnt/β-catenin migration