TCF12 overexpression as a poor prognostic factor in ovarian cancer

Abstract Introduction Ovarian cancer is a common malignant tumor that is severely harmful to human health, but the molecular mechanisms of ovarian cancer remain unclear. Transcription factor 12 (TCF12) is a member of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) E protein family, which recognizes the E-box sequence and is responsible for cellular development and differentiation. A recent study has reported that TCF12 is highly expressed in some human cancers and may be correlated with clinicopathological factors, but there are few studies on its mechanism. There is no report on TCF12 in ovarian cancer. Materials and methods The expression profiles of TCF12 in human ovarian cancer patients and cells were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot; MTT, wound-healing and transwell migration assays, as well as flow cytometry, were used to investigate the biological functions of TCF12 in A2780 and SK-OV-3 ovarian cancer cell lines. Results This study reports for the first time that TCF12 is overexpressed in patients with ovarian cancer and that its high expression is associated with histological grade and metastasis. TCF12 downregulation using small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited ovarian cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion and promoted apoptosis. Conclusion The results suggest that TCF12 is a poor prognostic factor of ovarian cancer and that targeting TCF12 may be a new therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer treatment.