The ectopic expression of
insulin-like growth factor 2
mRNA-
binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) has been demonstrated to facilitate
tumorigenesis and induce proliferation in a various types of
cancer. However, the role of IGF2BP2 in
esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has yet been fully elucidated. In this regard, the current study assessed the expression patterns and clinical significance of IGF2BP2 in 94 Chinese patients diagnosed with ESCC. Immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR assays were employed to assess IGF2BP2 expression in ESCC tissues compared with adjacent healthy tissues. The results revealed that the
protein expression of IGF2BP2 was substantially upregulated in ESCC tissues compared with adjacent ESCC tissues. More specifically, higher IGF2BP2 expression strongly associated with
tumor node
metastasis stage, lymphatic infiltration and
lymph node metastasis. Using two ESCC cell lines (TE-1 and TE-10), the inhibition of IGF2BP2 expression by
small interfering RNA was proven to induce apoptosis and suppress proliferation, migration and cell cycle progression in vitro. Collectively, the present findings indicated that IGF2BP2 may serve a major role in the development of ESCC
carcinogenesis. The present study may be helpful in the design of potential drug targets in the treatment of ESCC.