STEAP2, as an oncogene, enhanced the invasion ability of cervical caner cells and promoted EMT through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

Abstract Despite the established pivotal role of STEAP2 (six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 2) in the progression of prostate cancer, its prognostic value and functionality in cervical carcinoma have not been comprehensively analyzed. The STEAP2 expressions in healthy and cancerous cervical tissues, as well as in five varying cervical carcinoma cells (Ca Ski, HeLa, SiHa, C33A and HT-3) were checked by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. The association of STEAP2 with the outcome was explored by the Kaplan-Meier method among the cervical carcinoma population. Through the in-vivo and in-vitro lentiviral transfection and cellular functionality assays, we examined how the STEAP2 elevation and decline influenced the biological properties of cervical carcinoma cells. Furthermore, the effects of STEAP2 knockdown or over-expression on the crucial EMT (epithelial–to–mesenchymal transition) hallmarks and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were also determined by real time RT-qPCR in conjunction with western-blot. As demonstrated the results, high STEAP2 level in cancerous cervical tissues was associated positively with the clinico-pathological traits of malignant cervical cancer and the poor prognosis of patients. Through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis deactivation, the STEAP2 knockdown could significantly inhibit cellular proliferation and invasion abilities, reduce the MMP-1 plus MMP-13 levels, and impede the EMT event. Meanwhile, STEAP2 over-expression had the opposite effects. All in all, STEAP2, as an oncogene, enhanced the invasion ability of cervical caner cells and promoted EMT through PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis, which thus probably acts as a therapeutic target for suppressing the cervical carcinoma cell invasion.