Knockdown of RCAS1 expression by RNA interference recovers T cell growth and proliferation.

Receptor binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells (RCAS1), a tumor-associated antigen, was expressed in various malignant tissues. It is involved in the tumor immune escape. Here, we reported the evidence that knockdown of RCAS1 expression by RNA interference can recovers T cell growth and proliferation. We designed a small hairpin RNA to knockdown RCAS1 expression in MCF-7 cells effectively. Adding RCAS1 protein resulted in a reduced T cell growth rate, an increased T cell apoptosis ratio, the higher activity of Caspase-3 proteases, and decreased IFN-gamma secretion. The suppression of RCAS1 expression effectively recover T cell proliferation, reduce apoptosis and partially reverse the T cell function of IFN-gamma secretion.