scholarly journals Membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Observations from clinical and in vitro analyses

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijuan Pang ◽  
Qiuxiang Li ◽  
Shugang Li ◽  
Jianwei He ◽  
Weiwei Cao ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Qibing Chen ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Fen Li ◽  
Xiang Cheng ◽  
Yu Xiao ◽  
...  

Background: Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), originally reported as an inflammation regulating molecule, is elevated in various cancer cells, which may promote carcinogenesis. Meanwhile, ISO-1 is a potent small molecular inhibitor of MIF, which has not been investigated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); hence the impact of ISO-1 on NPC cells remains to be illustrated. Objective: This study intended to explore the biological function of ISO-1 in NPC cells in vitro and prove a possibility of ISO-1 being a novel agent in NPC treatments. Methods: Gene expression of MIF in Head and Neck squamous cell carcinoma were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Nasal pharyngeal tissues were collected from adult patients undergoing nasopharyngeal biopsy for MIF level detection. Proliferation of NPC cell lines 5-8B and 6-10B was studied using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and plate-colony-formation assay, apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL staining, migration and invasion capacities were measured by wound-healing assay and transwell assay, all to explore the function of ISO-1 in NPC cells in vitro. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) level of NPC cells was determined by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence assay. Results: Transcript level of MIF was significantly higher in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Protein MIF was overexpressed in human NPC tissues compared to non-cancerous ones, and its expression could be compromised by ISO-1 in vitro. 100μM ISO-1 significantly hindered NPC cells migration and invasion capacities in vitro but acted relatively poorly on proliferation and apoptosis. Immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting implied a down-regulated EMT level through TGF-β/Smad4 axis in ISO-1 treated NPC cells compared to the vehicle. Conclusion: This study indicated that MIF antagonist ISO-1 holds impact on NPC progression by influencing the migration and invasion of NPC cells ISO-1 inhibits the EMT process of NPC cells through TGF-β/Smad4 axis, supporting that prudent application of ISO-1 may be a potential adjuvant treatment for NPC.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shufeng Zhou ◽  
Sabrina Daniela da Silva ◽  
Peter M. Siegel ◽  
Anie Philip

Abstract There is increasing evidence that the expression of CD109, a GPI-anchored cell surface protein is dysregulated in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, the functional role of CD109 in SCC progression is poorly understood. In current study, we demonstrate that CD109 is a critical regulator of epithelial phenotype in SSC cells. CD109 levels inversely correlate with TGF-β signaling, EMT, migration, and invasion in cultured SCC cells. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout CD109 (CD109 KO) in SCC cells represses epithelial traits and promotes the mesenchymal phenotype, as evidenced by elevated expression of mesenchymal proteins and markers of epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Treatment with recombinant CD109 protein causes CD109 KO cells to regain their epithelial traits. CD109 loss results in pronounced alterations of gene expression as detected by microarray analysis and in dysregulation of 15 important signalling pathways as shown by KEGG pathway cluster analysis. Validation using 52 human oral SCC tumor samples show that CD109 levels inversely correlate with tumor grade and the activation state of one such pathway, the TGF-β signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings highlight a novel role for CD109 as a gatekeeper of the epithelial phenotype by regulating TGF-β pathway in SCC cells.


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