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Open Access IGF-I Induces Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition via the IGF-IR‐Src‐MicroRNA-30a‐E-Cadherin Pathway in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells

Recurrence and distant metastasis are the most common cause of therapeutic failure in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) can induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in many epithelial tumors; however, whether IGF-I can enhance NPC metastasis by EMT and the mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we have identified that IGF-I could induce EMT and enhance migration ability in NPC cell lines. Furthermore, both Src inhibitor and microRNA-30a (miR-30a) inhibitor reversed IGF-I-induced EMT, suggesting the involvement of an IGF-IR‐Src‐miR-30a‐E-cadherin pathway in IGF-I-induced EMT in NPC cell lines. Overall, the results of the present study may provide more useful information regarding the mechanisms of the IGF-IR signaling pathway in the regulation of NPC metastasis. Both Src kinase and miR-30a can be potential biomarkers for selecting high risk of metastasis in NPC patients.

Keywords: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT); Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I); Insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR); MicroRNA-30a (miR-30a); Src

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi’an, P.R. China

Publication date: 10 August 2016

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  • Formerly: Oncology Research Incorporating Anti-Cancer Drug Design
    Oncology Research Featuring Preclinical and Clincal Cancer Therapeutics publishes research of the highest quality that contributes to an understanding of cancer in areas of molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics, genetics, biology, endocrinology, and immunology, as well as studies on the mechanism of action of carcinogens and therapeutic agents, reports dealing with cancer prevention and epidemiology, and clinical trials delineating effective new therapeutic regimens.

    From Volume 23, Oncology Research Featuring Preclinical and Clinical Cancer Therapeutics is Open Access under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND license.

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