Cordycepin inhibits the proliferation and progression of NPC by targeting the MAPK/ERK and β‑catenin pathways

Zhou,Yaqi; Mei,Xueshuang; Li,Ying; Yang,Weiqiang; Su,Xi; Hu,Hongyi

doi:10.3892/ol.2021.13138

Cordycepin inhibits the proliferation and progression of NPC by targeting the MAPK/ERK and β‑catenin pathways

Authors:
- Yaqi Zhou
- Xueshuang Mei
- Ying Li
- Weiqiang Yang
- Xi Su
- Hongyi Hu
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Affiliations: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University‑The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Centre, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, P.R. China, Department of Radiology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University‑The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Centre, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, P.R. China, Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen Peking University‑The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Centre, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, P.R. China
Published online on: November 16, 2021 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.13138
Article Number: 20
Copyright: © Zhou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Cordycepin is an extract from the Cordyceps genus of ascomycete fungi. In the present study, the anticancer potential of cordycepin against nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and the potential underlying mechanisms, were investigated. Using Cell Counting Kit 8, wound‑healing and Transwell assays, cordycepin was found to reduce the viability and inhibit the migration of C666‑1 cells in a dose‑dependent manner. In addition, in colony formation assays, co‑treatment with cordycepin and cisplatin inhibited the proliferation of C666‑1 cells. Furthermore, RNA sequencing analysis identified 72 significantly differentially expressed genes and different signaling pathways that may be regulated by cordycepin. After treatment with cordycepin, the expression levels of ERK1/2, phosphorylated ERK1/2 and β‑catenin were significantly downregulated. Therefore, cordycepin may be a novel candidate for NPC treatment or a co‑treatment candidate with cisplatin in chemotherapy.

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