Paclitaxel promotes mTOR signaling-mediated apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells by targeting MUC20

  • Thorac Cancer. 2023 Sep 29. doi: 10.1111/1759-7714.15091.
Meng Li  1  2 ,  Zhen Feng  1  2 ,  Rui Han  3 ,  Benchuang Hu  4 ,  Renfeng Zhang  5 ,  Hui Wang  1  2
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
  • 2. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
  • 3. Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
  • 4. Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Jining, Jining, China.
  • 5. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
PMID: 37772424 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.15091
Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of paclitaxel on the Apoptosis of esophageal Cancer cells in relation to MUC20.

Methods: RT-qPCR analysis, a CCK-8 assay, western blotting, and flow cytometry were used to analyze the Anticancer effects of paclitaxel treatment or OE-MUC20 in vitro and in vivo.

Results: The in vitro results showed that paclitaxel significantly induced MUC20 upregulation and that paclitaxel treatment or OE-MUC20 significantly decreased esophageal Cancer cell viability and increased mTOR signaling activation and Apoptosis. In addition, PKM2, a key downstream molecule of mTOR signaling, similarly showed significant upregulation after paclitaxel treatment in cells with OE-MUC20, and its expression was attenuated after treatment with mTOR inhibitors. In a nude mouse model, tumor growth was slow in the OE-MUC20 group and accelerated after inhibition of mTOR signaling.

Conclusion: These data suggest that MUC20 is an important target of paclitaxel in esophageal Cancer and promotes Apoptosis through activation of mTOR signaling.

Keywords
MUC20; drug target; esophageal cancer; mTOR signaling; paclitaxel.
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