Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32117645›Full record

ArticlePeerJ2020

Engrailed-2 promotes a malignant phenotype of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through upregulating the expression of pro-oncogenic genes.

Yong Cao, Xiaoyan Wang, Li Tang, Yan Li, Xueqin Song, Xu Liu, Mingying Li, Feng Chen, Haisu Wan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PeerJ, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 38% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Yong CaoExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Xiaoyan WangExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Li TangExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Yan LiExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Xueqin SongExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Xu LiuExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Mingying LiExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Feng ChenExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Haisu WanExperimental Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, China.
Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA number of homeobox genes have been implicated in the development of various cancers. However, the role of engrailed 2 (EN2), a member of the homeobox gene superfamily, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unknown.

methodsThe expression of EN2 was examined using quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. A stable cell line was established to express exogenous EN2 using a lentivirus system. The malignant phenotype was analyzed with proliferation, clonogenicity, wound-healing and invasion assays. The CRISPR/Cas9 system was adopted to deplete endogenous EN2. RNA profiling was performed using gene expression microarray. The ShRNA-mediated method was used to knock down the expression of SPARC. The structure-function relationship was determined using site-directed mutagenesis.

resultsEN2 is highly expressed in ESCC. The malignant phenotype of the ESCC cell line was amplified by an overexpression of EN2 but was attenuated by a disruption of EN2. RNA profiling analysis revealed that distinct sets of genes were modulated by the expression of EN2 in various ESCC cell lines and oncogenes were among these. EN2 greatly increased the expression of SPARC in Eca109. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the induction of SPARC was closely correlated with the protumor function of EN2. ShRNA-mediated knockdown of SPARC attenuated the malignant phenotype of EN2-infected cells. These data suggest that SPARC is crucial for mediating the protumor function of EN2. DISCUSSION: EN2 has an oncogenic function in ESCC that is mediated by upregulating the expression of pro-oncogenic genes downstream. EN2 may potentially act as a diagnostic marker or therapeutic target for ESCC treatment in the future.

Indexed as

EN2 mutantEngrailed 2Esophageal squamous cell carcinomaMalignant phenotypeSPARC

Identifiers

PMID32117645
PMCPMC7036277
OpenAlexW3008147673

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.