Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 3, 2026

An Orthotopic Murine Model of Human Prostate Cancer Metastasis
06:48

An Orthotopic Murine Model of Human Prostate Cancer Metastasis

Published on: September 18, 2013

36.0K

SOX4 induces tumor invasion by targeting EMT-related pathway in prostate cancer

Yifan Liu1, Shan Zeng2, Xianhan Jiang1

  • 11 Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Tumour Biology : the Journal of the International Society for Oncodevelopmental Biology and Medicine
|May 4, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group box 4 (SOX4) drives prostate cancer progression. Inhibiting SOX4 reduces cancer cell proliferation and migration, offering a potential therapeutic target.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group box 4 (SOX4) is implicated in tumor progression and poor outcomes across various cancers.
  • The role of SOX4 in prostate cancer's biological behaviors and its potential link to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the expression levels of SOX4 in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines.
  • To evaluate the impact of SOX4 on prostate cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which SOX4 influences prostate cancer, specifically through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway.

Main Methods:

  • SOX4 expression was analyzed in prostate cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues, alongside a panel of prostate cancer cell lines.
  • Prostate cancer cell lines with SOX4 knockdown were subjected to proliferation, migration, and invasion assays (e.g., MTT and Transwell assays).
  • Changes in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, E-cadherin and vimentin, were assessed following SOX4 inhibition.

Main Results:

  • SOX4 expression was significantly upregulated in both prostate cancer tissues and cell lines compared to normal controls.
  • Knockdown of SOX4 expression markedly repressed the proliferation and migration capabilities of DU145 prostate cancer cells.
  • Inhibition of SOX4 reversed EMT processes, evidenced by increased E-cadherin and decreased vimentin expression.

Conclusions:

  • SOX4 is overexpressed in prostate cancer and promotes key cancer cell behaviors like proliferation and migration.
  • SOX4 appears to mediate its effects, at least in part, through the regulation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway.
  • SOX4 represents a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer.
Keywords:
SOX4epithelial–mesenchymal transitioninvasionmetastasisproliferationprostate cancer

More Related Videos

A Preclinical Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma to Define the Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Communication Between Tumor and Mesenchymal Stem Cells11:15

A Preclinical Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma to Define the Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Communication Between Tumor and Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Published on: May 6, 2018

10.7K
Generation of Prostate Cancer Cell Models of Resistance to the Anti-mitotic Agent Docetaxel06:44

Generation of Prostate Cancer Cell Models of Resistance to the Anti-mitotic Agent Docetaxel

Published on: September 8, 2017

14.1K

Related Concept Videos

Pleiotropy01:33

Pleiotropy

Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...
43.7K
Tumor Progression02:07

Tumor Progression

Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
7.6K
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
8.0K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.9K
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However,...
3.4K