Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1), a multifunctional co-receptor, participates in cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by interacting with multiple signaling pathways. However, research on the precise function and prognostic analysis of NRP1 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is scarce. Here, researchers explored the correlation between NRP1 and clinicopathological features of ICC and its impact on ICC cell line function. Results showed that NRP1 protein and mRNA levels were significantly elevated in ICC tissues compared to paired adjacent normal tissues. High NRP1 expression in ICC tissues was associated with poor prognosis. NRP1 expression levels are expected to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and cumulative tumor recurrence, and are closely related to tumor number. In vitro experiments showed that knockdown of NRP1 inhibited the proliferation and migration of RBE cells, while overexpression of NRP1 in 9810 cells promoted their proliferation and migration. Furthermore, NRP1 may promote ICC cell proliferation and migration through the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway. As an oncogene, NRP1 may become a potential target for ICC treatment and a prognostic biomarker.
To further validate the role of NRP1 in ICC cell lines, researchers overexpressed NRP1 in the 9810 cell line, which had the lowest NRP1 expression level. In Figure 1, normal control cells were defined as the 9810-NC group, and the NRP1-overexpressing cell line was defined as the 9810-OE-NRP1 group. After overexpression, the expression of NRP1 mRNA in the 9810-OE-NRP1 group was significantly increased (Figure 1A). Figure 1C shows the results of transfection efficiency validation at the protein level. Figure 1B shows the results of the CCK-8 assay, Figures 1D and E show the results of the Transwell assay, and Figures 1F and G show the results of the wound healing assay. The results indicate that NRP1 overexpression promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of 9810 cells.
Figure 1. Cellular proliferation and migration comparison after NRP1 overexpression in the 9180 cell line. (Wu Y N, et al., 2020)