[Corrigendum] Epithelial mesenchymal transition induced by the CXCL9/CXCR3 axis through AKT activation promotes invasion and metastasis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Oral cancer is one of the drastic human cancers due to its aggressiveness and high mortality rate. Of all oral cancers, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common accounting for more than 90%. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is suggested to play an important role during cancer invasion and metastasis. Recently, emerging knowledge on EMT in carcinogenesis is explosive, tempting us to analyze previous studies on EMT in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this paper, we have first addressed the general molecular mechanisms of EMT, evidenced by alterations of cell morphology during EMT, the presence of cadherin switching, turning on and turning off of many specific genes, the activation of various signaling pathways, and so on. The remaining part of this paper will focus on recent findings of the investigations of EMT on OSCC. These include the evidence of EMT taking place in OSCC and the signaling pathways employed by OSCC cells during their invasion and metastasis. Collectively, with the large body of new knowledge on EMT in OSCC elaborated here, we are hopeful that targeting treatment for OSCC will be developed.

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miR-373-3p Targets DKK1 to Promote EMT-Induced Metastasis via the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/6010926 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Junquan Weng ◽

Hui Zhang ◽

Cheng Wang ◽

Jianfeng Liang ◽

Guanhui Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Negative Regulator ◽

Loss Of Function ◽

Regulate Gene Expression ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Normal Tissues

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and at the same time mediate tumorigenesis. miR-373-3p has diverse effects in tumors, but its role in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine the function of miR-373-3p in the progression of TSCC. Our results brought to light that miR-373-3p is markedly upregulated in clinical TSCC tissues compared with paired adjacent normal tissues and has significant correlation with a more aggressive TSCC phenotype in patients. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies revealed that ectopic miR-373-3p overexpression promoted the metastasis of TSCC cells. Notably, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was hyperactivated in TSCC cells overexpressing miR-373-3p, and this pathway was responsible for the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by miR-373-3p. Furthermore, miR-373-3p directly targeted and suppressed Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a negative regulator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade. These results demonstrate that, by directly targeting DKK1, miR-373-3p constitutively activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling, thus promoting the EMT-induced metastasis of TSCC. Taken together, our findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism for miR-373-3p and suggest that miR-373-3p might be a potential target in TSCC therapy.

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TRPP2 Enhances Metastasis by Regulating Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry ◽

10.1159/000447914 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 39 (6) ◽

pp. 2203-2215 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Kaile Wu ◽

Bing Shen ◽

Feifei Jiang ◽

Lin Xia ◽

Taotao Fan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Wound Healing ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Cell Invasion ◽

Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Invasion And Metastasis ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Expression Levels

Background/Aim: Surgery and chemotherapy treatments of human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HLSCC) may fail due to metastasis, in which epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role. TRPP2, a nonselective cation channel, is expressed in various cell types and participates in many biological processes. Here, we show that TRPP2 enhanced metastasis by regulating EMT. Methods: We used immunohistochemistry, western blotting, Ca2+ imaging, transwell and wound healing assays to investigate TRPP2 expression levels in HLSCC tissue, and the role of TRPP2 in invasion and metastasis of a human laryngocarcinoma cell line (Hep2 cell). Results: We found that TRPP2 protein expression levels were significantly increased in HLSCC tissue; higher TRPP2 levels were associated with decreased patient survival time and degree of differentiation and advanced clinical stage. Knockdown of TRPP2 by transfection with TRPP2 siRNA markedly suppressed ATP-induced Ca2+ release, wound healing, and cell invasion in Hep2 cells. Moreover, TRPP2 siRNA significantly decreased vimentin expression but increased E-cadherin expression in Hep2 cells. In the EMT signalling pathway, TRPP2 siRNA significantly decreased Smad4, STAT3, SNAIL, SLUG and TWIST expression in Hep2 cells. Conclusion: We revealed a previously unknown function of TRPP2 in cancer development and a TRPP2-dependent mechanism underlying laryngocarcinoma cell invasion and metastasis. Our results suggest that TRPP2 may be used as a biomarker for evaluating patient prognosis and as a novel therapeutic target in HLSCC.

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FGF1–FGFR1 axis promotes tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) metastasis through epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications ◽

10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.09.021 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 466 (3) ◽

pp. 327-332 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jiuyang Jiao ◽

Xiaopeng Zhao ◽

Yancan Liang ◽

Dongxiao Tang ◽

Chaobin Pan

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

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Deregulation of Hexokinase II Is Associated with Glycolysis, Autophagy, and the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma under Hypoxia

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2018/8480762 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Guanhui Chen ◽

Yadong Zhang ◽

Jianfeng Liang ◽

Wenqing Li ◽

Yue Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Lactate Production ◽

Glucose Consumption ◽

Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Control Group ◽

Mesenchymal Transition

The glycolytic enzyme Hexokinase (HKII) participates in tumor glycolysis and the progression of various cancers, but its clinicopathological effect on the progression of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) and its role in glycolysis, autophagy, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of TSCC in a hypoxic microenvironment remain unknown. Our results showed that HKII expression was dramatically increased in TSCC tissues and that its upregulation was significantly associated with the presence of pathological differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage. The level of autophagy-specific protein LC3, EMT-related proteins, and the migration and invasion capabilities of TSCC cells all increased under hypoxia. Moreover, hypoxia increased the glucose consumption and lactate production of TSCC cells, and we demonstrated that the expression of the glycolytic key gene HKII was significantly higher than in that of the control group. Notably, the downregulation of HKII resulted in a significant decrease of TSCC cell glucose consumption lactate production and autophagic activity during hypoxia. HKII knockdown blocked the migratory and invasive capacity of TSCC cells and we specifically determined that the EMT ability decreased. Therefore, our findings revealed that the upregulation of HKII enhanced glycolysis and increased autophagy and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tongue squamous cell carcinoma under hypoxia.

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