Dysregulated RUNX1 Predicts Poor Prognosis by Mediating Epithelialmesenchymal Transition in Cervical Cancer

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) has been proven to be over-expressed and vital in many malignancies. However, its role in cervical cancer is still unclear.

Some online databases (Oncomine, GEPIA, UALCAN, LinkedOmics, and others) were used to explore the expression level, prognostic significance, and gene mutation characteristics of RUNX1 in cervical cancer. The protein levels of RUNX1 in cervical cancer were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The functional changes of cervical cancer cells were measured in vitro after decreasing RUNX1.

Bioinformatic results revealed that RUNX1 was upregulated in cervical cancer compared to normal tissues. Moreover, over-expression of RUNX1 was significantly correlated with cervical cancer patients' clinical parameters (e.g., individual cancer stages, patients' age, nodal metastasis status, and others). Meanwhile, functional enrichment analysis of RUNX1-related genes indicated that RUNX1 was mainly involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in cervical cancer. Furthermore, RUNX1 may be upregulated by hsamiR-616-5p and hsa-miR-766 identified by miRDB, TargetScan, and miRWalk. Finally, RUNX1 was upregulated in cervical cancer compared to normal tissues by IHC in collected cervical cancer samples. The invasion and migration abilities of cervical cancer cells were significantly reduced by repressing EMT after knocking down RUNX1 in vitro.

RUNX1 was highly expressed in cervical cancer, and upregulated RUNX1 could significantly promote the invasive abilities of cervical cancer cells by inducing EMT. Therefore, RUNX1 may be a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and targeted therapy of cervical cancer.