AUTHOR=Gao Qingkun , An Ke , Lv Zhe , Wang Yanzhao , Ding Changmin , Huang Wensheng 

TITLE=E2F3 accelerates the stemness of colon cancer cells by activating the STAT3 pathway

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2023.1203712

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2023.1203712

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=Colon cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies and causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Thus, further researches are required to explicate the latent molecular mechanisms and look for novel biomarkers. E2F3 has been confirmed to be an oncogene in diversified cancers. However, the particular regulatory of E2F3 in colon cancer needs further investigation. The self-renewal ability was detected through sphere formation assay. The tumorigenic ability was measured through nude mice in vivo assay. The protein expression of genes was examined through western blot. The expression of E2F3 in tumor tissues was detected through IHC assay. The resistance to cisplatin was assessed through CCK-8 assay. The cell migration and invasion abilities were measured after up-regulating or suppressing E2F3 through Transwell assay. Results uncovered that E2F3 was up-regulated in spheroid cells. In addition, E2F3 facilitated stemness in colon cancer. Moreover, E2F3 facilitated colon cancer cell migration and invasion. Finally, it was revealed that E2F3 affected the STAT3 pathway to modulate stemness in colon cancer. E2F3 served as a promotive regulator in colon cancer, aggravating tumorigenesis and stemness in colon cancer progression through the STAT3 pathway. This discovery implied that E2F3 may be a useful biomarker for anticancer treatment in colon cancer.