CBX7 Inhibits Cell Growth and Motility and Induces Apoptosis in Cervical Cancer Cells

Rong Li; Qi Yan; Ping Tian; Yan Wang; Jing Wang; Ning Tao; Li Ning; Xin Lin; Lu Ding; Jiwen Liu; Cailing Ma

doi:10.1016/j.omto.2019.09.002

CBX7 Inhibits Cell Growth and Motility and Induces Apoptosis in Cervical Cancer Cells

Mol Ther Oncolytics. 2019 Sep 24:15:108-116. doi: 10.1016/j.omto.2019.09.002. eCollection 2019 Dec 20.

Authors

Rong Li^{1

2}, Qi Yan², Ping Tian³, Yan Wang⁴, Jing Wang⁵, Ning Tao¹, Li Ning¹, Xin Lin¹, Lu Ding^{6

3}, Jiwen Liu¹, Cailing Ma⁵

Affiliations

¹ Postdoctoral Research Center on Clinical Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, China.
² Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, College of Public Health, Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, China.
³ Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, China.
⁴ Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia (PPTHIDCA), Department of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, China.
⁶ Postdoctoral Research Center on Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Xinjiang Medical University, Xinjiang, China.

Abstract

The chromobox protein homolog 7 (CBX7), one member of the polycomb group family, has been characterized mainly to play a tumor-suppressive role in human malignant neoplasias. Moreover, downregulation of CBX7 is correlated with poor prognosis and aggressiveness in a variety of human cancers. However, the biological functions and role of CBX7 in cervical cancer have not been elucidated. In the present study, we explore whether CBX7 exerts its tumor-suppressive function in cervical cancer. To achieve this goal, molecular approaches were used to upregulate the expression of CBX7 or downregulation of CBX7 in cervical cancer cell lines. We observed that overexpression of CBX7 inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. CBX7 overexpression retarded cell migration and invasion in cervical cancer cells. In line with this, downregulation of CBX7 promoted cell growth and migration as well as invasion in cervical cancer cells. Our findings suggest that CBX7 might be a tumor suppressor and could be a potential target in cervical cancer.

Keywords: CBX7; E-cadherin; apoptosis; cell proliferation; cervical cancer; invasion; migration; motility.