ShRNA silencing glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3 beta), a serine/threonine protein kinase, plays a vital role in the tumorigenesis of many cancers, but its role in pancreatic cancer remains unknown. In this study, we showed that GSK-3 beta was aberrantly activated in pancreatic cancer. GSK-3 beta knockdown resulted in arrested proliferation and increased apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Expression of Bcl-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) decreased significantly in a GSK-3 beta knockdown group. In a xenograft tumor model, GSK-3 beta knockdown inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis. Our study showed that GSK-3 beta may become a promising therapeutic target for human pancreatic cancer. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.