Regulation of Self-Renewal in Colorectal Cancer Cell Models

    December 2014 in “ Tesis Doctorals en Xarxa (Consorci de Serveis Universitaris de Catalunya) ”
    Óscar Meca‐Cortés
    TLDR Reducing SOX2 in colorectal cancer cells decreases tumor growth and self-renewal.
    The study investigated the role of the transcription factor SOX2 in colorectal cancer cell lines SW620 and SW480, revealing that high SOX2 levels led to DNA damage, reactive oxygen species accumulation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. SOX2 knockdown in SW620 cells caused G1 cell cycle arrest, reduced anchorage-independent growth, and tumor growth, partially mediated by cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27. SOX2 appeared to negatively regulate p27, and its knockdown also decreased LGR5 levels, affecting tumor growth despite increased β-catenin activity. The findings suggested LGR5 as a negative regulator of Wnt signaling, with high β-catenin activity not necessarily enhancing self-renewal potential in these cancer models.
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