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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Development of Compendium for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 12, 2024
Gli-1 expression is associated with lymph node metastasis and tumor progression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Yukiko Mori1, Tomoyuki Okumura, Shigeru Tsunoda
1Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Objective:
We investigated the expression and function of the hedgehog (Hh) pathway in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
Methods:
The expression of Hh pathway molecules were detected in 34 human ESCC cell lines by RT-PCR. Subsequently, we investigated the effects of cyclopamine, a specific inhibitor of the Hh pathway, on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Next, the effects of siRNA targeting Gli-1 were examined. Immunohistochemically, the expression of Gli-1 was studied in 104 ESCC specimens and compared with the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients.
Results:
Gli-1 were expressed in 31 of 34 cell lines (91%), while Sonic hedgehog (SHh), Patched (Ptch), and Smoothened (Smo) expression was noted in all 34 cell lines. Cyclopamine significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration in ESCC cells that expressed Gli-1. siRNA targeting Gli-1 inhibited cell growth in ESCC cells. Gli-1 was expressed in 52 of 104 cancer specimens (50%). Gli-1 expression was associated with tumor depth (p < 0.001), positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.004) and a poor prognosis (p = 0.0047).
Conclusion:
Our results raise the possibility that the inhibition of the Hh pathway could be a novel target for esophageal cancer therapy.
