Reduced CTGF Expression Promotes Cell Growth, Migration, and Invasion in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background The role of CTGF varies in different types of cancer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the involvement of CTGF in tumor progression and prognosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Experimental design CTGF expression levels were examined in NPC tissues and cells, nasopharynx (NP) tissues, and NP69 cells. The effects and molecular mechanisms of CTGF expression on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle were also explored. Results NPC cells exhibited decreased mRNA expression of CTGF compared to immortalized human nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69. Similarly, CTGF was observed to be downregulated in NPC compared to normal tissues at mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, reduced CTGF was negatively associated with the progression of NPC. Knocking down CTGF expression enhanced the colony formation, cell migration, invasion, and G1/S cell cycle transition. Mechanistic analysis revealed that CTGF suppression activated FAK/PI3K/...