Promotion of Insulin-like growth factor II in cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma

Aim: This study aims to investigate the involvement of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) proliferation and metastasis. Materials and Methods: The effects of IGF-II on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell migration, and invasion in HCC Huh7 cells were investigated in the study. Results: IGF-II promoted cell proliferation and colony formation, suppressed cell apoptosis in Huh7 cells by promoting cell cycle progression, induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes, and enhanced the metastatic potential of HCC in vitro. Conclusion: Our results revealed that IGF-II promotes cell proliferation and EMT in HCC cells.