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Up-regulation of UHRF1 by oncogenic Ras promoted the growth, migration, and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells

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Abstract

Ubiquitin-like with PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1) has been reported as a marker for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis. However, the expression pattern and biological functions of UHRF1 in the progression of pancreatic cancer are not fully understood. In this study, it was found that the expression of UHRF1 was significantly up-regulated in pancreatic cancer samples compared to their adjacent normal tissues. Meanwhile, the expression of UHRF1 was inversely correlated with the survival of pancreatic cancer patients. Moreover, in the biological function studies, UHRF1 was shown to promote the growth, migration, and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the expression of UHRF1 was induced by oncogenic Ras in both pancreatic cancer mouse model and cultured cells. Taken together, our study demonstrated that UHRF1 played an oncogenic role in the progression of pancreatic cancer, and UHRF1 might be a promising target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Surgery Department, Affiliated Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212000, Jiangsu, China

    Lei Cui, Jixiang Chen, Qing Zhang, Xuqing Wang, Jianguo Qu, Jianxin Zhang & Shenchun Dang

  2. Affiliated Hospital, Jiangsu University, 438 Jie-Fang Rd, Zhenjiang, 212003, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Shenchun Dang

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  1. Lei Cui
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  2. Jixiang Chen
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  3. Qing Zhang
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  4. Xuqing Wang
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  5. Jianguo Qu
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  6. Jianxin Zhang
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Correspondence to Shenchun Dang.

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Cui, L., Chen, J., Zhang, Q. et al. Up-regulation of UHRF1 by oncogenic Ras promoted the growth, migration, and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells. Mol Cell Biochem 400, 223–232 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-014-2279-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-014-2279-9

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