KIF20A Predicts Poor Survival of Patients and Promotes Colorectal Cancer Tumor Progression through the JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

Qi Zhang,Xianghui Du,Aoning Mi,Anpeng Wang,Jun Di,Zhiyu Ji,Changjiang Qin,Quanying Li,Anlian Wang

doi:10.1155/2020/2032679

Abstract

Kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) has been recently reported to be upregulated and associated with increased invasiveness and metastasis in several malignancies. However, the role of KIF20A in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still unclear. This study is aimed at investigating the potential roles of KIF20A in the development of CRC. The results of bioinformatics analysis, immunohistochemical staining, and Western blot analysis showed that KIF20A was overexpressed in CRC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. High expression of KIF20A in CRC tissues was associated with depth of invasion, lymphatic node metastasis, distant metastasis, and TNM stage. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that CRC patients with high KIF20A expression had poor prognoses. Cox regression analysis revealed that KIF20A was an independent prognostic factor in patients with CRC. Further studies suggested that knockdown of KIF20A was able to reduce cell proliferation and migration by inhibiting the JAK/STAT3 pathway. Taken together, we propose that KIF20A plays a critical role in the tumorigenesis and tumor progression of colorectal cancer and could represent a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

Highlights

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common digestive system malignancies in the world and is associated with poor overall survival due to its high incidence and mortality rates [1]
To identify the expression level of Kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A) in CRC, we analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort datasets, and our results showed that the mRNA expression level of KIF20A was upregulated in unpaired CRC tissues (n = 380) compared to normal tissues (n = 50, Figure 1(a), P < 0:001)
We found that the protein level of KIF20A was higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues from our medical center, as determined by Western blotting (n = 8, Figure 1(c))

Summary

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common digestive system malignancies in the world and is associated with poor overall survival due to its high incidence and mortality rates [1]. In the latest statistics from 2018, CRC ranked third in new cases of malignant tumors in both males and females but second in terms of mortality [3, 4]. 25% of CRC patients have metastases at the time of diagnosis. Approximately 50% of CRC patients will develop metastasis, thereby contributing to the high mortality of CRC [5]. Studying the molecular mechanisms underlying the invasion and metastasis of CRC is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of CRC and for improving the long-term survival rate of patients

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Conclusion