Twist2 contributes to cisplatin-resistance of ovarian cancer through the AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway

Cisplatin is regularly used in the treatment of ovarian cancer. However, the drug only provides a modest survival advantage, primarily due to chemoresistance and the upregulation of antiapoptotic machineries in ovarian cancer cells. Therefore, targeting the mechanisms responsible for cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer cells may improve the therapeutic outcomes. Twist basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor 2 (Twist2) is a novel zinc finger transcription factor that has been indicated to be an important inducer of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which has been shown to be involved in various phases of tumorigenicity and progression. However, whether Twist2 suppression increases the chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents remains unclear. In the present study, Twist2 expression was found to differ between human ovarian cisplatin-sensitive cancer cell line, OV2008, and the resistant variant, C13K cells. Twist2 plasmids or RNA interference were then utilized to alter Twist2 expression in OV2008 or C13K cells, respectively, to further assess apoptosis, cell viability and cell growth, as well as a possible mechanism. The results of the present study indicated that Twist2 plays a crucial role in the chemoresistance of ovarian cancer. In addition, the downregulation of Twist2 expression may facilitate apoptosis and recover the sensitivity of chemoresistant ovarian cancer through the protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase-3β pathway. Therefore, Twist2 depletion may be a promising approach to ovarian cancer therapy.