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High NEK2 confers to poor prognosis and contributes to cisplatin‐based chemotherapy resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Author(s) -
Xu He,
Zeng Liang,
Guan Yongjun,
Feng Xiangling,
Zhu Yinghong,
Lu Yichen,
Shi Chen,
Chen Shilian,
Xia Jiliang,
Guo Jiaojiao,
Kuang Chunmei,
Li Wei,
Jin Fengyan,
Zhou Wen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/jcb.27632
Subject(s) - nasopharyngeal carcinoma , cisplatin , cancer research , downregulation and upregulation , small hairpin rna , chemotherapy , cell growth , biology , oncology , medicine , cell culture , radiation therapy , gene , gene knockdown , biochemistry , genetics
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignant tumor in southern China and Southeast Asia, but the molecular mechanism of its pathogenesis is poorly understood. Our previous work demonstrated that NEK2 is overexpressed in multiple cancers. However, how NEK2 involves in NPC development remains to be elucidated. In this study, we firstly identified NEK2, located at +1q32‐q33, a late event in NPC pathogenesis, overexpressed in the stage III‐IV and paired sequential recurrent patients with NPC by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, Kaplan‐Meier analysis indicated high NEK2 conferred an inferior overall survival in NPC. In addition, cisplatin experiments with cell counting kit‐8, colony formation, and a xenograft mice model of NPC demonstrated that NEK2 contributed to proliferation and cisplatin resistance in vitro and in vivo. On the contrary, downregulation of NEK2 by short hairpin RNA inhibited NPC cell growth and increased the sensitivity of cisplatin treatment in vitro. Thus, increased expression of NEK2 protein could not be predicted for poor survival but used as a novel biomarker for recurrence of NPC. Targeting NEK2 has the potential to eradicate the cisplatin‐based chemotherapy resistant NPC cells.