Oncogenic role of protein tyrosine kinase 7 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( ESCC ) is a common subtype of esophageal cancer that is particularly prevalent in E ast A sian countries. Our previous expression profile analysis showed that the gene encoding protein tyrosine kinase 7 ( PTK 7) is upregulated in ESCC tissues. Here, we aimed to validate PTK 7 as a prognostic factor and a candidate target for molecular treatment of ESCC . Both RT ‐ PCR and Western blot analysis of tissues from ESCC patients revealed that PTK 7 was significantly upregulated in tumor tissue samples of ESCC . Immunohistochemical staining of PTK 7 showed that increased expression of PTK 7 was inversely correlated with overall survival ( P  = 0.021). In vitro knockdown of PTK 7 inhibited proliferation, survival, wound healing, and invasion of ESCC cells. In addition, PTK 7 knockdown decreased phosphorylation of A kt, E rk, and focal adhesion kinase (FAK), important determinants of cell proliferation, survival, and migration. Therefore, our findings suggest that PTK 7 has potential as a prognostic marker for ESCC and might also be a candidate for targeted therapy in the treatment of ESCC .