The ABCC4 gene is a promising target for pancreatic cancer therapy

Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas that usually has a poor prognosis. The investigation of targets that effectively inhibit pancreatic cancer cell proliferation should provide a fundamental basis for the clinical application of gene therapy. Here, high expression levels of ABCC4 protein in thirty-six pancreatic cancer specimens were quantified using an immunohistochemical assay, and the potential of ABCC4 as a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer was investigated. Inhibition of ABCC4 expression at the mRNA and protein levels was achieved in Panc-1 and BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cells infected with a lentivirus expressing an ABCC4 short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The downregulation of ABCC4 expression in Panc-1 and BxPC-3 cells significantly inhibited their proliferation and colony formation in vitro, compared to cells infected with mock control (p<0.05). Moreover, the specific downregulation of ABCC4 led to the accumulation of cells at the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Our findings reveal that the ABCC4 gene promotes pancreatic cancer cell growth and represents a promising target for gene therapy in pancreatic cancer. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V.