Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha promotes cancer stem cells-like properties in human ovarian cancer cells by upregulating SIRT1 expression.

ABSTRACT: Ovarian cancer have a poor overall survival rate in patients, and late disease presentation and chemoresistance are the main factors that lead to the mortality of ovarian cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small subpopulation of cancer cells, have been associated with resistance to chemo- and radio-therapy in cancer treatment. Hypoxia is a common characteristic of many malignant tumors, and increased HIF-1? expression predicts the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer. In this study, we reported the relationship between hypoxia and cancer stem cells-like properties in human ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and HO8910, we found that hypoxia induced cancer stem cells-like properties in ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, SIRT1 was found to be the downstream target gene of HIF-1?, which was involved in the promotion of cancer stem cells-like features in ovarian cancer cells by hypoxia, and NF-?B signaling pathway was involved in hypoxia-induced SIRT1 up-regulation. Our results hinted that HIF1? and SIRT1 might serve as potential therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer.

SUBMITTER: Qin J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5587562 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature