Abstract:
Primary liver cancer is one of the most diagnosed cancer and leading cause of cancer death worldwide with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) contributing the majority of all cases. Advanced HCC has very poor prognosis due to frequent recurrence and metastasis. Salt-inducible Kinase 2 (SIK2), a member of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) family, is reported to participate in a wide range of molecular pathways, such as the PI3K/Akt and LKB1-HDAC, vital to cell proliferation and migration in tumours, including breast and ovarian cancers. However, the role of SIK2 in HCC has not been well studied. Using stable SIK2 knockout cells, we showed that loss of SIK2 led to much slower growth rate and drastic increases in mobility suggesting that SIK2 affects the proliferation and migration of HCC cells. Interestingly, restoration of SIK2 significantly suppressed the HCC cell invasiveness. Among the chemo-drugs tested, SIK2 knockout cells were more sensitive to cisplatin treatment, indicating that loss of SIK2 might affect the efficacy of chemotherapy against HCC. Taken together, these results suggest the participation of SIK2 in the progression of HCC, making it a potential novel target for effective HCC treatment.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- SIK2 is important in chemosensitivity of cancer
- SIK2 is an idea target for cancer therapy
