In vivo validation of PAX2 as a target for renal cancer therapy

PAX genes are frequently overexpressed in human cancer tissue and appear to contribute to the tumor phenotype, suggesting that they may be potential targets for cancer therapy. In particular, aberrant PAX2 expression has been reported in a high proportion of primary tumors, including the majority of renal cell carcinomas (RCC). We recently demonstrated that PAX2 suppresses cisplatin-induced apoptosis in cultured RCC cells. We hypothesized that silencing of PAX2 expression might partially overcome the notorious resistance of renal cell carcinomas to chemotherapy in vivo. In this report, we show that a PAX2 shRNA successfully knocks down PAX2 mRNA and protein levels in an RCC cell line (ACHN). ACHN cells stably transfected with shRNAs targeted against the PAX2 homeodomain are 3-6-fold more susceptible to cisplatin-induced caspase-3 activation than control ACHN cells line. Furthermore, growth of subcutaneous ACHN/shPAX2 xenografts in nude mice is significantly more responsive to cisplatin therapy than control ACHN cell tumors. Our observations validate PAX2 as a potential therapeutic gene target in renal cancer and suggest that adjunctive PAX2 knockdown may enhance the efficacy of other chemotherapeutic agents.