BRG1 promotes VEGF-A expression and angiogenesis in human colorectal cancer cells

Angiogenesis plays an important role in tumor growth and progression in solid tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the most critical and specific factors that stimulate both physiological and pathological angiogenesis. Here, we report a novel role of BRG1, the core subunit of SWI/SNF family complexes, in angiogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that BRG1 is overexpressed in colorectal cancer and decreased expression of BRG1 not only blocks cell proliferation but remarkably inhibits the ability of HUVECs to form capillary-like structures. Moreover, our study shows that BRG1 can regulate the expression of VEGF-A by interacting with HIF-1α. Furthermore, we find VEGF-A is overexpressed in colorectal cancer and is positively correlated with BRG1 expression. Taken together, our study demonstrated that BRG1 can promote VEGF-A expression and angiogenesis in colorectal cancer and BRG1 may be a novel drug target for the treatment of colorectal cancer.