ERas regulates cell proliferation and epithelial –mesenchymal transition by affecting Erk/Akt signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer

In this study, we found that ERas mRNA and protein were upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cells compared with controls. Knockdown of ERas in pancreatic cancer cells by siRNA significantly decreased cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion and promoted cell apoptosis in vitro. Epithelial –mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely related to tumor progression. We observed a significant decrease in N-cadherin expression in pancreatic cancer cells in response to ERas gene silencing by immunofluorescence assay and western blot. Furthermore, tumor growth and EMT were inhibited in xenogra fts derived from pancreatic cancer cells with ERas downregulation. We further investigated the regulatory mechanisms of ERas in pancreatic cancer and found that ERas may activate the Erk/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, Erk inhibitor decreased pancreatic cancer cells proliferation and colony format ion activities. Our data suggest that targeting ERas and its relevant signaling pathways might represent a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Source: Human Cell - Category: Cytology Source Type: research