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shRNA-mediated silencing of ZFX attenuated the proliferation of breast cancer cells

Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology volume 73, pages 569–576 (2014)Cite this article

An Expression of Concern to this article was published on 10 April 2020

Abstract

Purpose

Breast cancer is the cause for highest number of cancer-related death among women worldwide. This study was focused on investigating the role of zinc-finger protein X-linked (ZFX) in human breast cancer.

Methods

Expression levels of ZFX were analyzed in 99 patients and four breast cancer cell lines. Lentivirus-mediated RNA interference was applied to silence ZFX expression, and the effects of ZFX knockdown on the growth of breast cancer cells were investigated.

Results

The immunohistochemical expression of ZFX was higher in more advanced tumor tissues. ZFX was also overexpressed in multiple breast cancer cell lines. Knockdown of ZFX inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, ZFX silencing resulted in cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Depletion of ZFX decreased the phosphorylation level of AKT and increased the phosphorylation level of ERK2 and the expression of cyclin D1, which is involved in cell survival and cell cycle regulation.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that ZFX plays an important role in breast cancer development and could be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China (No. LY12H16030), Foundation of Science Technology Department of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2011C23043), Foundation of Health Department of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2011BCA015) and also by Traditional Chinese Medical Research Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2011ZA016).

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Breast Surgery, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, 38 Guangji Road, Hangzhou, 310022, China

    Hongjian Yang, Xingfei Yu, Xianghou Xia, Xiangming He, Weiliang Feng & Lei Xing

  2. Cancer Center, The Medical School, Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 16, Jiangsu Road, Qingdao, 266003, People’s Republic of China

    Yue Lu

  3. Department of Internal Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, 38 Guangji Road, Hangzhou, 310022, China

    Yabing Zheng

  4. Zhejiang Cancer Research Institute, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, 38 Guangji Road, Hangzhou, 310022, China

    Zhiqiang Ling

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  1. Hongjian Yang
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  2. Yue Lu
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  3. Yabing Zheng
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  4. Xingfei Yu
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  5. Xianghou Xia
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  6. Xiangming He
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  7. Weiliang Feng
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  8. Lei Xing
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  9. Zhiqiang Ling
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Hongjian Yang or Yabing Zheng.

Additional information

Hongjian Yang and Yue Lu have contributed equally to this work.

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Yang, H., Lu, Y., Zheng, Y. et al. shRNA-mediated silencing of ZFX attenuated the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 73, 569–576 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-014-2379-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-014-2379-y

Keywords

  • Breast cancer
  • ZFX
  • RNAi
  • Proliferation