EMX2 gene expression predicts liver metastasis and survival in colorectal cancer

BMC Cancer

Research Article

Roland Kehm¹  Martin Schneider²  Berk Aykut²  Praveen Radhakrishnan²  Adrian Brill²  Daniel Weissinger²  Yakup Kulu²  Markus Ochs²  Hermine Höcker²  Sandra Schwarz²  Alexis Ulrich² 

[1] Department of Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany;Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany;

关键词: Colorectal cancer;    Homeobox gene;    Adenoviral therapy;    Univariate analyses;    Metastasis;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12885-017-3556-2

 received in 2016-05-24, accepted in 2017-08-15,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe Empty Spiracles Homeobox (EMX-) 2 gene has been associated with regulation of growth and differentiation in neuronal development. While recent studies provide evidence that EMX2 regulates tumorigenesis of various solid tumors, its role in colorectal cancer remains unknown. We aimed to assess the prognostic significance of EMX2 expression in stage III colorectal adenocarcinoma.MethodsExpression levels of EMX2 in human colorectal cancer and adjacent mucosa were assessed by qRT-PCR technology, and results were correlated with clinical and survival data. siRNA-mediated knockdown and adenoviral delivery-mediated overexpression of EMX2 were performed in order to investigate its effects on the migration of colorectal cancer cells in vitro.ResultsCompared to corresponding healthy mucosa, colorectal tumor samples had decreased EMX2 expression levels. Furthermore, EMX2 down-regulation in colorectal cancer tissue was associated with distant metastasis (M1) and impaired overall patient survival. In vitro knockdown of EMX2 resulted in increased tumor cell migration. Conversely, overexpression of EMX2 led to an inhibition of tumor cell migration.ConclusionsEMX2 is frequently down-regulated in human colorectal cancer, and down-regulation of EMX2 is a prognostic marker for disease-free and overall survival. EMX2 might thus represent a promising therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017