Depletion of tissue factor suppresses hepatic metastasis and tumor growth in colorectal cancer via the downregulation of MMPs and the induction of autophagy and apoptosis

The effects of coagulation factors and their inhibitors on proliferation and migration in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

Clotting factors promote cancer development. We investigated if coagulation proteins promote proliferation and migration in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines and whether their direct inhibitors can attenuate these effects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

DLD-1 and SW620 cells were treated with tissue factor (0, 50, 100 and 500 pg/mL ± 10 μg/mL 10H10 [anti-tissue factor antibody]), thrombin (0.0, 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 U/mL ± 0.5 μM dabigatran [thrombin inhibitor]) and Factor Xa, FXa (0.0, 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 U/mL ± 100 ng/mL rivaroxaban [FXa inhibitor]) and their effects on proliferation and migration were quantified using the PrestoBlue® and transwell migration assays, respectively.

RESULTS

Thrombin increased proliferation from 48 h treatment compared to its control (48 h 6.57 ± 1.36 u vs. 2.42 ± 0.13 u, p = 0.001, 72 h 9.50 ± 1.54 u vs. 4.50 ± 0.47 u, p = 0.004 and 96 h 10.77 ± 1.72 u vs. 5.57 ± 0.25 u, p = 0.008). This increase in proliferation was attenuated by dabigatran at 72 h (2.23 ± 0.16 u vs. 3.26 ± 0.43 u, p = 0.04). Tissue factor (0 pg/mL 20.7 ± 1.6 cells/view vs. 50 pg/mL 32.4 ± 1.9 cells/view, p = 0.0002), FXa (0.0 U/mL 8.9 ± 1.1 cells/view vs. 10.0 U/mL 17.7 ± 1.7 cells/view, p < 0.0001) and thrombin (0.0 U/mL 8.9 ± 1.3 cells/view vs. 10.0 U/mL 20.2 ± 2.0 cells/view, p < 0.0001) all increased migration compared to their controls. However, their direct inhibitors did not attenuate these increases.

CONCLUSION

Thrombin, FXa and TF all increase migration in CRC in vitro. Thrombin induced increase in proliferation is abrogated by dabigatran. Dabigatran may have potential as an anti-cancer therapy in CRC.

CD142 plays a key role in the carcinogenesis of gastric adenocarcinoma by inhibiting BCL2-dependent autophagy

CD142 is expressed on the surface of multiple malignant tumors and contributes to various carcinogenesis. However, the role of CD142 in the pathogenesis of GAC remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of CD142 in GAC carcinogenesis. Our results showed that CD142 expression was significantly increased in GAC cancer tissues, especially in those with significant invasion or metastasis. The invasion and migration of CD142-positive SNU16 cells were significantly increased compared with those of CD142-negative cells. Moreover, CD142 overexpression promoted the invasion and migration of SGC083 cells, but CD142 silencing was contrary. In addition, there was a positive correlation between CD142 expression of cancer tissues and serum IL-8 levels. CD142 overexpression promotes IL-8 production in SGC083 cells. In vivo analysis showed that the implantation of CD142-positive SNU16 cells promoted the growth of xenograft tumor and the production of IL-8. Mechanistically, CD142 silencing not only inhibited the expression of BCL2 and the interaction between BCL2 and Beclin1, but also promoted the autophagic response in SGC083. Furthermore, CD142 silencing-induced IL-8 degradation was recovered by treatment of autophagy inhibitor 3-MA. CD142 can inhibit autophagic cell death and the autophagic degradation of IL-8 in GAC, which exerts an effective effect on GAC carcinogenesis.

Targeting Protein Synthesis in Colorectal Cancer

Under physiological conditions, protein synthesis controls cell growth and survival and is strictly regulated. Deregulation of protein synthesis is a frequent event in cancer. The majority of mutations found in colorectal cancer (CRC), including alterations in the WNT pathway as well as activation of RAS/MAPK and PI3K/AKT and, subsequently, mTOR signaling, lead to deregulation of the translational machinery. Besides mutations in upstream signaling pathways, deregulation of global protein synthesis occurs through additional mechanisms including altered expression or activity of initiation and elongation factors (e.g., eIF4F, eIF2α/eIF2B, eEF2) as well as upregulation of components involved in ribosome biogenesis and factors that control the adaptation of translation in response to stress (e.g., GCN2). Therefore, influencing mechanisms that control mRNA translation may open a therapeutic window for CRC. Over the last decade, several potential therapeutic strategies targeting these alterations have been investigated and have shown promising results in cell lines, intestinal organoids, and mouse models. Despite these encouraging in vitro results, patients have not clinically benefited from those advances so far. In this review, we outline the mechanisms that lead to deregulated mRNA translation in CRC and highlight recent progress that has been made in developing therapeutic strategies that target these mechanisms for tumor therapy.

Tumor-Specific Silencing of Tissue Factor Suppresses Metastasis and Prevents Cancer-Associated Hypercoagulability

Within tumors, the coagulation-inducing protein tissue factor (TF), a major initiator of blood coagulation, has been shown to play a critical role in the hematogenous metastasis of tumors, due to its effects on tumor hypercoagulability and on the mediation of interactions between platelets and tumor cells. Targeting tumor-associated TF has therefore great therapeutic potential for antimetastasis therapy and preventing thrombotic complication in cancer patients. Herein, we reported a novel peptide-based nanoparticle that targets delivery and release of small interfering RNA (siRNA) into the tumor site to silence the expression of tumor-associated TF. We showed that suppression of TF expression in tumor cells blocks platelet adhesion surrounding tumor cells in vitro. The downregulation of TF expression in intravenously administered tumor cells (i.e., simulated circulating tumor cells [CTCs]) prevented platelet adhesion around CTCs and decreased CTCs survival in the lung. In a breast cancer mouse model, siRNA-containing nanoparticles efficiently attenuated TF expression in the tumor microenvironment and remarkably reduced the amount of lung metastases in both an experimental lung metastasis model and tumor-bearing mice. What's more, this strategy reversed the hypercoagulable state of the tumor bearing mice by decreasing the generation of thrombin-antithrombin complexes (TAT) and activated platelets, both of which are downstream products of TF. Our study describes a promising approach to combat metastasis and prevent cancer-associated thrombosis, which advances TF as a therapeutic target toward clinic applications.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand inhibits the growth and aggressiveness of colon carcinoma via the exogenous apoptosis signaling pathway

Colon cancer is one of the most common types of gastrointestinal tumor. Previous studies have demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor-(TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) reduces the aggressiveness of colon cancer tumors and promotes the apoptosis of colon carcinoma cells. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of TRAIL were investigated and the potential mechanism of TRAIL-mediated apoptosis was explored in colon cancer cells. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, TUNEL and flow cytometry assays were used to analyze the effects of TRAIL on the growth, migration, invasion and apoptosis of colon tumor cells. In vivo experiments were performed in mice to analyze the therapeutic effects of TRAIL. The results demonstrated that TRAIL significantly suppressed the growth of colorectal tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner (0.5–2.5 mg/ml) and also promoted colon tumor cell death. The migration and invasion of colon tumor cells were inhibited by the downregulation of fibronectin, Vimentin and E-cadherin. The apoptotic rate revealed that TRAIL (2.0 mg/ml) significantly promoted the apoptosis of colon tumor cells by regulating apoptosis-related gene expression. TRAIL administration promoted the apoptosis of colon tumor cells via the exogenous apoptosis signaling pathway due to the upregulation of caspase-3, caspase-8 and nuclear factor-κB protein expression. In vivo assays revealed that TRAIL administration significantly inhibited tumor growth and promoted apoptotic body and lymphocyte infiltration, which led to increased survival in tumor-bearing mice compared with the control group. Immunohistochemistry revealed that P53 and B-cell lymphoma-2 were downregulated in TRAIL-treated tumors. In conclusion, TRAIL treatment significantly inhibited the growth and aggressiveness of colon tumors by inducing apoptosis via the exogenous apoptosis pathway, which suggests that TRAIL may be a potential anticancer agent for colon carcinoma therapy.

Crosstalk between TF/FVIIa and EGFR signaling in colorectal cancer cells

TF/FVIIa (Tissue Factor/Active Coagulation factor VII) and EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) signaling both promote malignant progression of colorectal cancer. However, the crosstalk of these two signaling pathways in human colorectal cancer cells remains unclear. Here we detected the changes of mRNA profile in human colorectal cancer cell SW620 exposed to FVIIa. Microarray showed that mRNA levels of EGFR ligands were significantly upregulated. Western blot analysis confirmed the upregulation of EGFR ligands and the phosphorylation of EGFR at tyrosine-845 in colorectal cancer cells exposed to FVIIa. However, knockdown of TF by RNAi could block the upregulation of EGFR ligands induced by FVIIa stimulation. On the other hand, the expression of components of TF/FVIIa signaling was significantly upregulated in LoVo cells stimulated by EGF. However, the crosstalk between the two signaling pathways could not be detected in HT-29 colon cancer cells bearing wild-type KRAS. Taken together, our study suggest that the crosstalk between TF/FVIIa and EGFR signaling pathways in colon cancer cells depends on KRAS mutation.

Physiological Perspective on Therapies of Lymphatic Vessels

Significance: Growth of distinctive blood vessels of granulation tissue is a central step in the post-developmental tissue remodeling. Even though lymphangiogenesis is a part of the regeneration process, the significance of the controlled restoration of lymphatic vessels has only recently been recognized.

Recent Advances: Identification of lymphatic markers and growth factors paved the way for the exploration of the roles of lymphatic vessels in health and disease. Emerging pro-lymphangiogenic therapies use vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C to combat fluid retention disorders such as lymphedema and to enhance the local healing process.

Critical Issues: The relevance of recently identified lymphatic functions awaits verification by their association with pathologic conditions. Further, despite a century of research, the complete etiology of secondary lymphedema, a fluid retention disorder directly linked to the lymphatic function, is not understood. Finally, the specificity of pro-lymphangiogenic therapy depends on VEGF-C transfection efficiency, dose exposure, and the age of the subject, factors that are difficult to standardize in a heterogeneous human population.

Future Directions: Further research should reveal the role of lymphatic circulation in internal organs and connect its impairment with human diseases. Pro-lymphangiogenic therapies that aim at the acceleration of tissue healing should focus on the controlled administration of VEGF-C to increase their capillary specificity, whereas regeneration of collecting vessels might benefit from balanced maturation and differentiation of pre-existing lymphatics. Unique features of pre-nodal lymphatics, fault tolerance and functional hyperplasia of capillaries, may find applications outreaching traditional pro-lymphangiogenic therapies, such as immunomodulation or enhancement of subcutaneous grafting.

Thromboembolism in Patients with Bladder Cancer: Incidence, Risk Factors and Prevention

Patients with bladder cancer are at high risk of developing both venous and arterial thromboembolic events. Factors that contribute to this phenomenon include the hypercoagulable state induced by the malignancy itself, medical comorbidities that are common in this predominantly elderly patient population as well as treatments such as prolonged pelvic surgery and cisplatin-based chemotherapy. While formal guidelines address prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing radical cystectomy, consensus regarding the role of pharmacologic prophylaxis in patients with bladder cancer being treated with chemotherapy, either with neoadjuvant or adjuvant intent in conjunction with radical cystectomy, as part of bladder preservation protocols or for metastatic disease, has proved elusive. The present narrative review was undertaken to define the incidence of and identify risk factors for thromboembolism among patients with bladder cancer, as well as to assess the efficacy of pharmacologic prophylaxis in reducing the risk of thromboembolism in this patient population.

Deconvoluting the relationships between autophagy and metastasis for potential cancer therapy

Autophagy is a highly conserved lysosome-dependent degradation process that may digest some long-lived proteins and damaged organelles. As an essential homeostasis maintaining system in normal cells, autophagy plays a key role in several pathological settings, especially cancer. Metastasis, known as a crucial hallmark of cancer progression, is the primary cause of cancer lethality. The role of autophagy in metastasis is quite complex as supportive evidence has indicated both pro-metastatic and anti-metastatic functions of autophagy. Autophagy can inhibit metastasis by restricting necrosis and mediating autophagic cell death, whereas it may also promote metastasis by enhancing cancer cell fitness in response to stress. Moreover, the function of autophagy is context- and stage-dependent. Specifically, during the early steps of metastasis, autophagy mainly serves as a suppressor, while it plays a pro-metastatic role in the later steps. Here, we focus on highlighting the dual roles of autophagy in metastasis and address the molecular mechanisms involved in this process, which may provide a new insight into cancer biology. While, we also summarize several anti-metastatic agents manipulating autophagy, in the hope of shedding light on exploration of potential novel drugs for future cancer therapy.

Tissue factor is strongly expressed in pericarcinomatous tissue in patients with laryngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to understand the relationship between tissue factor (TF) and laryngeal carcinoma.

METHODS

Differences in TF expression between pericarcinomatous and carcinomatous tissues were studied in patients with laryngeal carcinoma; the potential clinical significance of the observed differences is discussed. Immunohistochemical, western blot, and RT-PCR analyses were performed to assess the expression of TF at the protein and mRNA levels, and differences between pericarcinomatous and carcinomatous tissues in patients (n = 20) with laryngeal carcinoma were analyzed.

RESULTS

Expression of TF was significantly higher in pericarcinomatous tissues than in carcinomatous tissues (P < 0.01); furthermore, the intensity of TF mRNA expression was also significantly stronger in pericarcinomatous than in carcinomatous tissue (P < 0.001). Robust expression of TF was observed in pericarcinomatous tissues but not in carcinomatous tissues.

CONCLUSION

TF may contribute to the carcinogenesis and development of laryngeal carcinoma and may provide a marker for assessment of the degree of malignancy and the progression of laryngeal carcinoma. TF may also provide a new target for therapeutics for human head and neck cancer.

Cell intrinsic and extrinsic activators of the unfolded protein response in cancer: Mechanisms and targets for therapy

A variety of cell intrinsic or extrinsic stresses evoke perturbations in the folding environment of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), collectively known as ER stress. Adaptation to stress and re-establishment of ER homeostasis is achieved by activation of an integrated signal transduction pathway called the unfolded protein response (UPR). Both ER stress and UPR activation have been implicated in a variety of human cancers. Although at early stages or physiological conditions of ER stress, the UPR generally promotes survival, when the stress becomes more stringent or prolonged, its role can switch to a pro-cell death one. Here, we discuss historical and recent evidence supporting an involvement of the UPR in malignancy, describe the main mechanisms by which tumor cells overcome ER stress to promote their survival, tumor progression and metastasis and discuss the current state of efforts to develop therapeutic approaches of targeting the UPR.

MicroRNA-19a functions as an oncogenic microRNA in non-small cell lung cancer by targeting the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 and mediating STAT3 activation

MicroRNA‑19a (miR‑19a) has been found to be overexpressed in lung cancers. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of miR‑19a in tumorigenesis and the development of lung cancer remain poorly understood. In the present study, we aimed to delineate the role and mechanisms of action of miR‑19a in non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). miR‑19a was found to be overexpressed in both NSCLC tumor tissues and cell lines, as shown by RT-PCR. The enforced expression of miR‑19a by transfection with miR-19a mimics significantly enhanced cell growth and viability, cell invasion and the migration of NSCLC cells, as shown by cell invasion and migration assays, and promoted the growth of xenograft tumors in a mouse xenograft tumor model. Conversely, the inhibition of miR‑19a by transfection of the cells with miR‑19a inhibitor displayed the opposite effects. More importantly, we found that miR‑19a directly interacted with the 3'‑untranslated region (3'‑UTR) of the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) by dual‑luciferase reporter assay. miR‑19a was found to be capable of regulating the expression of SOCS1 in NSCLC cells. Thus, by modulating SOCS1 expression, miR‑19a regulated the expression of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). Taken together, our data provide a possible underlying mechanism of action of miR‑19a in the development of NSCLC and suggest that miR‑19a may be a novel and promising target for therapeutic intervention in NSCLC.

Targeting cell death signaling in colorectal cancer: Current strategies and future perspectives

The evasion from controlled cell death induction has been considered as one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. Defects in cell death signaling are a fundamental phenomenon in colorectal cancer. Nearly any non-invasive cancer treatment finally aims to induce cell death. However, apoptosis resistance is the major cause for insufficient therapeutic success and disease relapse in gastrointestinal oncology. Various compounds have been developed and evaluated with the aim to meet with this obstacle by triggering cell death in cancer cells. The aim of this review is to illustrate current approaches and future directions in targeting cell death signaling in colorectal cancer. The complex signaling network of apoptosis will be demonstrated and the “druggability” of targets will be identified. In detail, proteins regulating mitochondrial cell death in colorectal cancer, such as Bcl-2 and survivin, will be discussed with respect to potential therapeutic exploitation. Death receptor signaling and targeting in colorectal cancer will be outlined. Encouraging clinical trials including cell death based targeted therapies for colorectal cancer are under way and will be demonstrated. Our conceptual understanding of cell death in cancer is rapidly emerging and new types of controlled cellular death have been identified. To meet this progress in cell death research, the implication of autophagy and necroptosis for colorectal carcinogenesis and therapeutic approaches will also be depicted. The main focus of this topic highlight will be on the revelation of the complex cell death concepts in colorectal cancer and the bridging from basic research to clinical use.

MicroRNA-19a targets tissue factor to inhibit colon cancer cells migration and invasion

The over-expression of tissue factor (TF) and its roles in colon cancer progression have attracted much attention. However, the mechanisms regulating TF expression have not yet been shown in detail. In this study, we over-expressed miR-19a, miR20a and miR-106b in colon cancer cells, and evaluated their impact on TF expression and cellular function. We provide evidence demonstrating that miR-19a inhibited TF expression in vitro. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that TF was a direct target of miR-19a because the miR-19a mediated repression of luciferase activity was abolished by mutation of the putative binding site. Moreover, miR-19a suppressed colon cancer cell migration and invasion. This effect was due to the indirect down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase 9. Finally, we investigated the relevance of TF and miR-19a expression in a total of 48 paired colon cancer samples and revealed that miR-19a was inversely correlated with TF expression in stages I and II cases. Therefore, our results suggested that miR-19a was capable of suppressing TF expression in vitro and inhibiting cell migration and invasion. Although it was not the unique mechanism responsible for the expression of TF in vivo, miR-19a was inversely correlated with TF expression in early stage colon cancer patients.

Holothurian glycosaminoglycan inhibits metastasis and thrombosis via targeting of nuclear factor-κB/tissue factor/Factor Xa pathway in melanoma B16F10 cells

Holothurian glycosaminoglycan (hGAG) is a high-molecular-weight form of fucosylated chondroitin sulfate and has an antithrombotic effect. Our previous studies demonstrated that hGAG efficiently inhibited tumor cell metastasis. The interplays between thrombosis and tumor progression may have a major impact on hematogenous metastasis. In this study, we demonstrated that the mouse melanoma B16F10 cells treated with hGAG displayed a significant reduction of metastasis and coagulation capacity in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies revealed that hGAG treatment in B16F10 cells remarkably inhibited the formation of fibrin through attenuating the generation of activated Factor Xa (FXa), without affecting the expression of urokinase (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) that involved in fibrinolysis. Moreover, hGAG treatment downregulated the transcription and protein expression of tissue factor (TF). Promoter deletions, site mutations and functional studies identified that the nuclear transcription factor NF-κB binding region is responsible for hGAG-induced inhibition of TF expression. While the hGAG treatment of B16F10 cells was unable to inhibit NF-κB expression and phosphorylation, hGAG significantly prevented nuclear translocation of NF-κB from the cytosol, a potential mechanism underlying the transcriptional suppression of TF. Moreover, hGAG markedly suppressed the activation of p38MAPK and ERK1/2 signaling pathways, the central regulators for the expression of metastasis-related matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Consequently, hGAG exerts a dual function in the inhibition of metastasis and coagulation activity in mouse melanoma B16F10 cells. Our studies suggest hGAG to be a promising therapeutic agent for metastatic cancer treatment.

Statins, autophagy and cancer metastasis

Statins inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. They are traditionally considered to be cholesterol-lowering agents, but in recent years more and more effects of statins have been revealed, including anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, neuroprotection, improvement of bone metabolism, and antitumour effects. In the past few years, extensive studies have shown that statins can induce autophagy in tumour cells as well as in some normal cells, and autophagy may be involved in the regulation of cancer metastasis. This review is focused on summarising and discussing the relationships among statins, autophagy and cancer metastasis. Studies showed that activation of the AMPK-TOR signalling pathway may be a major mechanism of statin-induced autophagy. Depleting cellular geranylgeranyl diphosphate activates AMPK and inactivates TOR, leading to autophagic responses. Autophagy, a strategy of self-adaption, is a double-edged sword in tumour metastasis. On one hand, autophagy contributes to anti-metastasis activity by, for example, restricting tumour necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration of tumours and promoting the release of high-mobility group box protein 1 that triggers strong antitumour immune responses. On the other hand, it also exhibits a pro-metastasis activity. In summary, we propose a working hypothesis: statins induce autophagy in cancer cells, and this constitutes, at least in part, the basis for the anti-metastatic effect of statins. The idea that autophagy is responsible for statin-induced anti-metastasis effects is probably novel, and it extends the conventional view that interference of the post-translational modification of Rho GTPases by statins prevents tumour metastasis.

Do circulating tumor cells play a role in coagulation and thrombosis?

Cancer induces a hypercoagulable state, and patients with cancer who suffer a thrombotic event have a worse prognosis than those who do not. Recurrent pathologic thrombi in patients with cancer are clinically managed with anticoagulant medications; however, anticoagulant prophylaxis is not routinely prescribed owing to a complex variety of patient and diagnosis related factors. Early identification of patients at risk for cancer-associated thrombosis would allow for personalization of anticoagulant prophylaxis and likely reduce morbidity and mortality for many cancers. The environment in which a thrombosis develops in a patient with cancer is complex and unique from patients without cancer, which creates therapeutic challenges but may also provide targets for the development of clinical assays in this context. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may play a role in the association between cancer and thrombosis. Cancer metastasis, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, is facilitated by the hematogenous spread of CTCs, and CTCs accompany metastatic disease across all major types of carcinomas. The role of CTCs in the pathogenesis of thrombosis has not been studied due to the previous difficulty in identifying these rare cells, but the interaction between these circulating cells and the coagulation system is an area of study that demands attention. The development of CTC detection platforms presents a new tool by which to characterize the role for CTCs in cancer-related hypercoagulability. In addition, this area of study presents a new avenue for assessing the risk of cancer-associated thrombosis and represents a potential tool for predicting which patients may benefit from anticoagulant prophylaxis. In this review, we will discuss the evidence in support of CTC induced hypercoagulability, and highlight areas where CTC-detection platforms may provide prognostic insight into the risk of developing thrombosis for patients with cancer.

Hyperthermia synergizes with tissue factor knockdown to suppress the growth and hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer in orthotopic tumor model

BACKGROUND

Tissue factor (TF) is a significant risk factor for tumor growth and hepatic metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate whether hyperthermia has synergistic anti-tumor effects with TF knockdown in suppressing CRC progression and metastasis in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

Human colorectal cancer LOVO cells were treated by hyperthermia at 44°C for 2 hr or/and TF siRNA. Then the cells were subjected to colony formation assay. Apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The cell migration and invasion abilities were analyzed by wound healing and matrigel assay. In addition, orthotopic nude mice model of CRC was established.

RESULTS

Hyperthermia synergized with TF knockdown to reduce colony formation ability, induce apoptosis, and suppress the migration and invasion of LOVO cells in vitro. Moreover, hyperthermia in combination with TF depletion inhibited the growth and hepatic metastasis of CRC in orthotopic nude mice model. Mechanistically, the synergistic effects were at least partly mediated by inducing JNK mediated apoptosis and suppressing matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) mediated invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperthermia in combination with TF-targeted therapy could be a potential approach for CRC treatment.