title: Decreased expression of the type III TGF-β receptor enhances metastasis and invasion in hepatocellullar carcinoma progression.
abstract: The transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily of cytokines is multifunctional and involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. TGF-β can induce an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of both epithelial and endothelial cells. This has consequences for cancer progression in regards to both migration and invasion abilities. The type III TGF-β receptor (TβRIII) is a ubiquitously expressed TGF-β co-receptor which regulates TGF-β signaling and the progression of various types of cancer. Previous studies have shown that TβRIII exhibits abnormal expression and plays an essential role in regulating cancer invasion and metastasis, while little is known in regards to its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. In the present study, we designed the present research to study the role of TβRIII in the invasion and metastasis of HCC and the possible mechanisms involved. The results demonstrated decreased expression of TβRIII in HCC patient tissues and human HCC cell lines. TGF-β1 stimulation led to the increased migratory ability and reduced expression of TβRIII in HCC cells. In addition, knockdown of TβRIII by small interfering RNA (siRNA) promoted the migration and invasion of HCC cells and induced activation of the Smad2 and Akt pathways. All the results suggest that TβRIII is a novel suppressor of HCC progression.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine of the Chinese Education Ministry, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Center of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine of the Chinese Education Ministry, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Center of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wu-Yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine of the Chinese Education Ministry, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Center of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine of the Chinese Education Ministry, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Center of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine of the Chinese Education Ministry, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Center of Anti‑inflammatory and Immune Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D018450:Disease Progression; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011509:Proteoglycans; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; C497782:SMAD2 protein, human; D051899:Smad2 Protein; C071736:betaglycan; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt