Small interfering RNA targeting ILK inhibits metastasis in human tongue cancer cells through repression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 2013 · Experimental Cell Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.YEXCR.2013.05.014· OSTI ID:22271327

Xing, Yu ^[1]; Qi, Jin ^[2]; Deng, Shixiong ^[1]; Wang, Cheng ^[3]; Zhang, Luyu ^[3]; Chen, Junxia ^[3]

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1. College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing (China)
2. The Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University (China)
3. Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing (China)

Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase. Accumulating evidences suggest that ILK are involved in cell–matrix interactions, cell proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis and Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. EMT has been postulated as a prerequisite for metastasis. The reports have demonstrated that EMT was implicated in metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinomas. Therefore, here we further postulate that ILK might participate in EMT of tongue cancer. We showed that ILK siRNA inhibited EMT with low N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, Slug and Twist as well as high E-cadherin expression in vivo and in vitro. We found that knockdown of ILK inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion as well as changed cell morphology. We also demonstrated that ILK siRNA inhibited phosphorylation of downstream signaling targets Akt and GSK3β as well as reduced expression of MMP2 and MMP9. Furthermore, we found that the tongue tumor with high metastasis capability showed higher ILK, Vimentin, Snail, Slug and Twist as well as lower E-cadherin expression in clinical specimens. Finally, ILK siRNA led to the suppression for tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. Our findings suggest that ILK could be a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target for tongue cancer. Highlights: • ILK siRNA influences cell morphology, cell cycle, migration and invasion. • ILK siRNA affects the expression of proteins associated with EMT. • ILK expression is related to EMT in clinical human tongue tumors. • ILK siRNA inhibits metastasis of the tongue cancer cells through suppressing EMT.

• OSTI ID: 22271327
• Journal Information: Experimental Cell Research, Journal Name: Experimental Cell Research Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 319; ISSN 0014-4827; ISSN ECREAL
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ANGIOGENESIS
CARCINOMAS
CELL CYCLE
CELL PROLIFERATION
IN VITRO
IN VIVO
METASTASES
RNA
SERINE
THREONINE
TONGUE