Chemokine (CC motif) ligand 18 upregulates Slug expression to promote stem-cell like features by activating the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Chemokine (CC motif) ligand 18 (CCL18) is involved in remodeling of the tumor microenvironment and plays critical roles in oncogenesis, invasiveness, and metastasis. We previously investigated the overexpression of CCL18 in primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissues and its association with advanced clinical stage in OSCC patients. However, the underlying mechanisms of this CCL18-derived activity remains unidentified. This study showed exogenous CCL18 increased cell migration and invasion and induced cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and that E-cadherin, an epithelial marker, decreased and N-cadherin, a mesenchymal marker, increased, compared to negative control in OSCC cells. Furthermore, we detected that CCL18 induced the acquisition of cancer stem(-like) cell characteristics in oral cancer cells, but also found a significantly positive correlation between the expression of CCL18 and Bmi-1 (P < 0.001) in OSCC surgical specimens by immunohistochemistry analysis. The expression of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 and Bmi-1 were significantly upregulated, and proportions of aldehyde dehydrogenasehigh+ cells and CD133+ cells were markedly increased in CCL18-treated cells compared to untreated cells. Sphere formation ability was observably enhanced when cells were continually exposed to high levels of CCL18. Moreover, CCL18 upregulated Slug expression by stimulating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in OSCC cell lines. Inhibition of the mTOR pathway by INK128, or Slug knockdown by RNA interference, reversed CCL18-induced EMT and the stemness response at both molecular and functional levels. In conclusion, our data suggested that CCL18 upregulated Slug expression to promote EMT and stem cell-like features by activating the mTOR pathway in oral cancer. These findings provide new potential targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of OSCC.

Wang H ，Liang X ，Li M ，Tao X ，Tai S ，Fan Z ，Wang Z ，Cheng B ，Xia J ... -  《-》

CCL18-NIR1 promotes oral cancer cell growth and metastasis by activating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Jiang X ，Huang Z ，Sun X ，Zheng X ，Liu J ，Shen J ，Jia B ，Luo H ，Mai Z ，Chen G ，Zhao J ... -  《BMC CANCER》

Elevated autocrine chemokine ligand 18 expression promotes oral cancer cell growth and invasion via Akt activation.

Jiang X ，Wang J ，Chen X ，Hong Y ，Wu T ，Chen X ，Xia J ，Cheng B ... -  《Oncotarget》

Suppression of miR-204 enables oral squamous cell carcinomas to promote cancer stemness, EMT traits, and lymph node metastasis.

Yu CC ，Chen PN ，Peng CY ，Yu CH ，Chou MY ... -  《Oncotarget》

MUC1 gene silencing inhibits proliferation, invasion, and migration while promoting apoptosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of RNA interference in the inhibition of MUC1 gene expression in occurrence and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its in-depth mechanisms. The OSCC and normal oral mucosa tissues, as well as normal oral epithelial cell line HOK and OSCC cell line SCC-4, Cal-27, TSCCA, Tca8113 were obtained to detect the expression of MUC1. Slug expression in OSCC and normal oral mucosa tissues was also determined. The OSCC cells were grouped to investigate the role of MUC1 gene silencing on proliferation, DNA replication, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, colony formation ability, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and migration of OSCC cells. We first found higher positive rate of MUC1 and Slug expression in OSCC tissues. Next, it was determined that higher expression of MUC1 was found in OSCC tissues and cells. Furthermore, silencing of MUC1 declined Slug expression, inhibited the proliferation, DNA replication, cell cycle progression, and EMT while inducing apoptosis of OSCC cells. Our study suggests that overexpression of MUC1 is found in OSCC, and MUC1 gene silencing could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration while inducing apoptosis of OSCC cells.

Zhang AM ，Chi XH ，Bo ZQ ，Huang XF ，Zhang J ... -  《-》