Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
Published on: August 23, 2024
Thyrotroph embryonic factor is downregulated in bladder cancer and suppresses proliferation and tumorigenesis via the
Jianan Yang1, Bin Wang1, Han Chen1,2
1Department of Urologic Oncosurgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Objectives:
Thyrotroph embryonic factor (TEF) plays an important role in several different processes in normal human cells; however, its function in malignant cells has not been fully elucidated.
Materials And Methods:
The mRNA levels of TEF in 408 bladder cancer (BC) samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were analysed in depth. Next, the expression of TEF in 7 BC cell lines was compared to that in normal bladder epithelial cells. The cell count, colony formation and anchorage-independent growth assays as well as a nude mouse xenograft model were utilized to examine the effects of TEF on proliferation and tumorigenesis. Immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry analysis and treatment with an AKT inhibitor were performed to explore the molecular regulation mechanisms of TEF in BC.
Results:
Analysis of TCGA data indicated that TEF mRNA was decreased in BC samples compared to that in normal bladder epithelial cells and correlated with the poor survival of BC patients. Additional experiments verified that the mRNA and protein expression of TEF were significantly decreased in BC cells compared to that in normal bladder epithelial cells. Upregulation of TEF expression significantly retarded BC cell growth by inhibiting the G1/S transition via regulating AKT/FOXOs signalling.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that TEF might play an important role in suppressing BC cells proliferation and tumorigenesis.
Related Concept Videos
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not...
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

