Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
11:42

Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells

Published on: April 7, 2017

Reduced expression of EphB2 that parallels invasion and metastasis in colorectal tumours

Dong Li Guo1, Ji Zhang, Siu Tsan Yuen

  • 1Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.

Carcinogenesis
|November 8, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Loss of EphB2 receptor tyrosine kinase expression correlates with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) and poor patient survival. This suggests EphB2 acts as a tumor suppressor by regulating cell growth, adhesion, and migration in colon carcinogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Cancer research
  • Cell biology

Background:

  • EphB2 receptor tyrosine kinase is crucial for intestinal precursor cell migration.
  • Reduced EphB activity accelerates colon tumor progression in Apc(Min/+) mice.
  • EphB2 is regulated by the beta-catenin/Tcf4 complex.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate EphB2 expression patterns in normal colon, adenomas, and colorectal cancers (CRCs) with varying metastatic potential.
  • To determine the correlation between EphB2 expression levels and clinicopathological features, including tumor stage, differentiation, and patient survival.
  • To elucidate the functional role of EphB2 in colon cancer cell growth, adhesion, and migration in vitro.

Main Methods:

  • Immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays to assess EphB2 expression in patient samples.
  • Overexpression of EphB2 in SW480 colon cancer cells for in vitro functional studies.
  • Colony formation assays to evaluate cell growth inhibition.
  • Cell adhesion and migration assays to assess EphB2 receptor activation effects.

Main Results:

  • EphB2 expression significantly decreases progressively from normal colon crypt base cells (100%) to adenomas (78%), primary CRCs (55.4%), lymph node metastases (37.8%), and liver metastases (32.9%).
  • Loss of EphB2 expression is strongly associated with advanced tumor stage (P = 0.005), poor differentiation (P < 0.001), and reduced overall and disease-free survival (P = 0.005 and P = 0.001, respectively).
  • In vitro, EphB2 overexpression inhibited colon cancer cell growth, while EphB2 receptor activation reduced cell adhesion and migration.

Conclusions:

  • EphB2 expression is progressively lost during colon carcinogenesis, invasion, dedifferentiation, and metastasis.
  • Decreased EphB2 expression serves as a significant prognostic marker for adverse patient outcomes in CRC.
  • EphB2 likely functions as a tumor suppressor in the colon by modulating cell survival, adhesion, and migration.

More Related Videos

Development of Compendium for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma03:36

Development of Compendium for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Published on: April 12, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal01:22

Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma receptor (Eph) and its ligand, Eph receptor-interacting protein (Ephrin) were first discovered in the human carcinoma cell line, hence the name. Ephrin-Eph interaction guides cells to reach their appropriate location in adult tissues. They also play an essential role in the immune system by helping in immune cell migration, adhesion, and activation. Based on their structure and function, Eph is divided into two classes — EphA and EphB.
Cadherins in Tissue Organization01:19

Cadherins in Tissue Organization

The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...