Open AccessDual‐specificity tyrosine‐regulated kinase 2 is a suppressor and potential prognostic marker for liver metastasis of colorectal cancer
Author(s) -
Ito Daisuke,
Yogosawa Satomi,
Mimoto Rei,
Hirooka Shinichi,
Horiuchi Takashi,
Eto Ken,
Yanaga Katsuhiko,
Yoshida Kiyotsugu
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.13280
Subject(s) - cancer , biology , metastasis , colorectal cancer , cancer research , epithelial–mesenchymal transition , cancer cell , ovarian cancer , medicine , oncology , pathology , genetics
Colorectal cancer is a common cancer and a leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide. The liver is a dominant metastatic site for patients with colorectal cancer. Molecular mechanisms that allow colorectal cancer cells to form liver metastases are largely unknown. Activation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition is the key step for metastasis of cancer cells. We recently reported that dual‐specificity tyrosine‐regulated kinase 2 ( DYRK 2) controls epithelial–mesenchymal transition in breast cancer and ovarian serous adenocarcinoma. The aim of this study is to clarify whether DYRK 2 regulates liver metastases of colorectal cancer. We show that the ability of cell invasion and migration was abrogated in DYRK 2‐overexpressing cells. In an in vivo xenograft model, liver metastatic lesions were markedly diminished by ectopic expression of DYRK 2. Furthermore, we found that patients whose liver metastases expressed low DYRK 2 levels had significantly worse overall and disease‐free survival. Given the findings that DYRK 2 regulates cancer cell metastasis, we concluded that the expression status of DYRK 2 could be a predictive marker for liver metastases of colorectal cancer.