Page 112 - D. Cancer biology

[D. Cancer biology-71]

Effect of HDAC inhibitor Apicidin on epithelial-mesenchymal

transition and cell migration in human oral squamous cell

carcinoma cells

A-Reum Choi¹, Seong-Min Kwon², Andre Kim¹, Jung-Hoon Yoon², Mee-Young Ahn¹˙*

¹Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Medical and Life Sciences, Silla University, Busan 46958,

Republic of Korea, ²Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, College of Dentistry, Wonkwang Bone
Regeneration Research Institute, Daejeon Dental Hospital, Wonkwa, Daejeon 35233, Republic of Korea

This study investigated the effect of HDAC inhibitor apicidin on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell
migration of human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. EMT markers and transcription factors were detected
by western blot. Wounded healing assay and transwell migration assay were performed to detect cell migration.

The expression of migration-related proteins was examined by western blot and zymography. Apicidin increased E-
cadherin expression and decreased Vimentin expression in human OSCC cells. The levels of Zeb1 and Slug

expression were decreased, but the level of Snail expression was increased by apicidin. Apicidin markedly blocked
wounded healing and cell migration of human OSCC cells. Down-regulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and up-

regulation of TIMP2 was detected on apicidin treated OSCC cells. These results suggest that Apicidin can reverse
EMT, thereby inhibiting the migration of OSCC cells. HDAC inhibitor Apicidin may potentially be used as an anti-

cancer agent for inhibition of cancer cell EMT and migration. Further study will be needed. This research was
supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by

the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (NRF-2019R1F1A1041002).