AUTHOR=Wang Kun , Xing Zi-Hao , Jiang Qi-Wei , Yang Yang , Huang Jia-Rong , Yuan Meng-Ling , Wei Meng-Ning , Li Yao , Wang Sheng-Te , Liu Kun , Shi Zhi 

TITLE=Targeting uPAR by CRISPR/Cas9 System Attenuates Cancer Malignancy and Multidrug Resistance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2019.00080

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2019.00080

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p>Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), a member of the lymphocyte antigen 6 protein superfamily, is overexpressed in different types of cancers and plays an important role in tumorigenesis and development. In this study, we successfully targeted uPAR by CRISPR/Cas9 system in two human cancer cell lines with two individual sgRNAs. Knockout of uPAR inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, knockout of uPAR decreases resistance to 5-FU, cisplatin, docetaxel, and doxorubicin in these cells. Although there are several limitations in the application of CRISPR/Cas9 system for cancer patients, our study offers valuable evidences for the role of uPAR in cancer malignancy and drug resistance.</p>