may promote proliferation and invasion in pancreatic cancer.

INTRODUCTION

The gene encoding a protein that can regulate the integrin αvβ6 heterodimer protein expression in different status was shown to play an important role in multiple human cancers, such as brain cancer, colon cancer and oral cancer, and is related to clinical progression. This study aims to explore the function and the mechanism of the gene or protein in pancreatic cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We examined the expression of in pancreatic cancer using immunohistochemistry and analyzed the relationship between the expression of and the clinicopathologic features in pancreatic cancer patients. In addition, a bioinformatic method was used to analyze the mRNA level in pancreatic tumor tissues compared with normal pancreatic tissues and to analyze the correlation between high KIF23 expression and prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients. Moreover, colony formation assay, MTT assay, cell scratch, cell invasion and western blot assays and a xenograft mouse model were performed to analyze the effect of KIF23 on proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells.

RESULTS

Increased expression of was significantly correlated with poor clinical outcome in both our clinical data and TCGA data of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, functional assays revealed that knockdown and might inhibit cancer cell proliferation and the ability of invasion or migration.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that is associated with pancreatic cancer malignant progression. Hence, may serve as a potential target of pancreatic cancer for future research, and further study is needed.