Mena as a key enhancer factor of EMT to promote metastasis of human tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Hao Cui; Xiang Liang; Yifei Zhu; Sadam Ahmed Elayah; Hong Qi; Linyang Xie; Zhichen Guo; Fang Siya; Yu Ming; Gong Yuxin; Junbo Tu; Sijia Na

doi:10.1111/odi.14616

Mena as a key enhancer factor of EMT to promote metastasis of human tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Oral Dis. 2023 May 19. doi: 10.1111/odi.14616. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Hao Cui^{1

2}, Xiang Liang^{1

2}, Yifei Zhu^{1

2}, Sadam Ahmed Elayah^{1

2}, Hong Qi^{1

3}, Linyang Xie^{1

2}, Zhichen Guo^{1

2}, Fang Siya^{1

2}, Yu Ming^{1

2}, Gong Yuxin^{1

2}, Junbo Tu^{1

2}, Sijia Na^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
² Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
³ Department of Pathology, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.

PMID: 37203597
DOI: 10.1111/odi.14616

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mammalian-enabled (Mena) on tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) metastasis and its mechanism.

Materials and methods: Immunochemistry was performed to investigate the Mena and tumor-related markers expression, and its clinicopathological characteristics in 46 TSCC specimens. TSCC cell SCC9 and Cal27 untransfected or stable transfected with Mena overexpression and small interfering RNA were used to determine the role of Mena in cell proliferation, cell migration, invasion and metastasis, and EMT-related markers in vitro, and the effect of Mena on TSCC growth and metastasis through tumor-bearing and tumor metastasis immunodeficient mice models in vivo.

Results: Immunochemistry showed that the expression of Mena was significantly correlated with lymphatic metastasis and TNM stage, E-cadherin, Vimentin, and MMP2. Mena did not affect cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro, and tumor growth in vivo. However, it promoted cell migration and invasion in vitro, and TSCC metastasis in vivo.

Conclusions: Mena expression is associated with lymphatic metastasis and tumor stage and promotes TSCC invasion and metastasis by inducing the EMT process. Thus, Mena may be a biomarker for prognosis and targeted therapy in TSCC patients.

Keywords: Mena; epithelial-mesenchymal transition; metastasis; tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract

Grants and funding