Interleukin 21 and Its Receptor Play a Role in Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells

Abstract

Interleukin 21 (IL21) is a cytokine produced predominantly by cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4+) T-cells and natural killer T-cells. There exists evidence that IL21 is implicated in various immunological processes through its specific receptor (IL21R). However, the participation of IL21 in the pathogenesis of solid tumors is not fully conclusive. In the present study, we demonstrated that there was differential expression of IL21R in breast cancer cells using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting and sequence analysis. The expression of IL21R was stronger in MDA-231 cells, weaker in MCF7 but negative in ZR-75.1 cells. The invasion and migratory capacity of IL21R+ MDA-231 cells was enhanced by IL21 in a dose-dependent manner. After IL21R was knocked-down by siRNA gene silencing, the response of MDA-231 to treatment with IL21 was attenuated. We found that siRNA silencing of IL21R also spontaneously suppressed cell proliferation. However, IL21 had no additional effect on the proliferation of MDA-231 cells. We also found that IL21R was involved in signaling pathways of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), that are crucial for spreading and migration of metastatic MDA231 cells. In conclusion, we unveiled the roles of IL21R in breast cancer cells, which enhances our knowledge on immunological regulation of cancer cells through the axis of IL21 and its receptor.

Keywords: IL21; IL21 receptor; breast cancer; invasion; migration; survival.