STAT3 Pathway: Therapeutic Target in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma?
Posted: Wednesday, May 6, 2020
MicroRNA-125b has been shown to act as a tumor suppressor in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by targeting the STAT3 pathway, according to an article published in Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters. According to Guoying Miao, MD, of the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei, China, “Therapies aimed at activating microRNA-125b or inhibiting STAT3 signaling should be explored as potential treatments for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.”
The authors identified a 50% reduction of microRNA-125b expression in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by performing reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis on unhealthy tissue and comparing it with adjacent healthy tissue. Although changes in expression levels of STAT3 RNA were undetectable compared with controls, protein levels were increased in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma tissue and cell lines. RNA immunoprecipitation revealed a direct interaction between microRNA-125b and STAT3, linking STAT3 as the target of microRNA-125b. This led the researchers to explore the role these genes play in the antitumor response mechanism.
The group was able to measure changes in cell proliferation and apoptosis in cancerous cells by manipulating the expression levels of microRNA-125b and STAT3 in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma lines. Upregulating microRNA-125b in cancerous cells reduced the levels of STAT3 expression and the proliferation of those cells. Furthermore, there were more cells in the G0/G1 phase and more apoptosis of cancerous cells compared with controls. Likewise, downregulation of STAT3 suppressed cell proliferation and increased apoptosis.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
