BZW2 gene knockdown induces cell growth inhibition, G1 arrest and apoptosis in muscle-invasive bladder cancers: A microarray pathway analysis

Bladder cancer is among the most common cancers all over the world. The function of basic leucine zipper and W2 domains 2 (BZW2) in tumour progression has been reported. However, the biological function of BZW2 in muscle-invasive bladder cancers (MIBCs) remains to be determined. The aim of the present study was to reveal the expression and roles of BZW2 in human MIBCs and to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying these functions. Clinically, BZW2 expression was higher in MIBC tissues than the adjacent non-tumour tissues. Knocking down BZW2 using shRNA inhibited cell proliferation and G1/S cell cycle progression in vitro, and induced apoptosis in both 5637 and T24 cells. Moreover, in vivo studies with mice xenograft models confirmed the anti-proliferative effects of BZW2-knockdown, providing a future therapeutic target. We also performed biochemical microarray analysis to identify the potential signalling pathways, disease states and functions which could be affected by suppressing BZW2 in MIBC cells. Collectively, our findings suggest BZW2 has an oncogenic role in MIBCs and serves as a promising target for molecular diagnosis and gene therapy.