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Published on: March 30, 2019
[Down-regulation of CT120A by RNA interference suppresses lung cancer cells growth]
Dong-ning Pan1, Lin Wei, Ming Yao
1National Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China.
Objective:
To validate our obtained outcomes and clarify the relationship between CT120A, a novel human plasma membrane-associated gene, and proliferation of lung cancer cells.
Methods:
A vector-based small hairpin RNA (shRNA) was transfected into the human lung adenocarcinoma SPC-A-1 cells to specifically target CT120A cDNA. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to analyze the CT120A expression. The cell proliferation rate was analyzed by BrdU-TdR incorporation assay, the ability of cells to grow in soft agarose and the tumorigenicity in nude mice were measured. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze cell apoptosis.
Results:
When compared with the scrambled control cell line, CT120A transcripts were reduced by 70% and 50% in two shRNA-H stable transfectants, H2 and H3 clones, respectively. The protein of CT120A was reduced by about 80% in both the H2 and H3 clones. By BrdU incorporation assay, up to the 6th day a dramatic decrease in the cell growth rate (30% to 40%) was observed in the shRNA-H2 and shRNA-H3 cell lines. The colony formation rate in soft agarose of the two cell lines was about one half that of the control cells. In addition, a remarkable reduction of tumorigenicity of the two cell lines was observed as compared with that of the control. The suppression of CT120A expression also sensitized cells to ultraviolet-induced apoptosis.
Conclusion:
Down-regulation of CT120A by RNA interference suppresses lung cancer cell growth. The successful knockdown of CT120A expression by RNA interference implicates that CT120A may be a new candidate of drug target for treatment of lung cancers.
Insights
Down-regulating the CT120A gene using RNA interference significantly suppresses lung cancer cell growth and tumorigenicity. This finding suggests CT120A is a potential drug target for lung cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
- Gene Expression Analysis
Background:
- Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.
- Identifying novel therapeutic targets is crucial for improving patient outcomes.
- CT120A, a novel human plasma membrane-associated gene, has been implicated in cellular processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate findings on CT120A.
- To elucidate the role of CT120A in lung cancer cell proliferation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized vector-based small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to target CT120A in human lung adenocarcinoma SPC-A-1 cells.
- Assessed CT120A expression levels using RT-PCR and Western blotting.
- Evaluated cell proliferation, soft agar colony formation, tumorigenicity in nude mice, and apoptosis via flow cytometry.
Main Results:
- Successfully reduced CT120A transcripts by 50-70% and protein by approximately 80% in stable transfectants.
- Observed a 30-40% decrease in cell growth rate and halved colony formation in soft agar.
- Demonstrated significantly reduced tumorigenicity in vivo and increased sensitivity to UV-induced apoptosis.
Conclusions:
- RNA interference-mediated down-regulation of CT120A effectively suppresses lung cancer cell growth.
- CT120A represents a promising novel drug target for the development of lung cancer therapies.
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