MTA1 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma growth in vitro and in vivo

Background: The prognostic value of metastasis-associated gene 1 (MTA1) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been suggested. However, there is still no direct evidence that MTA1 promotes NPC growth in vivo. In this study, we aimed to investigate the function of MTA1 in the regulation of NPC cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Stable MTA1 knockdown or overexpression NPC cell lines were employed. The effects of MTA1 depletion or overexpression on cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle progression were examined by MTT, colony formation and flow cytometry assay. The effects of MTA1 depletion on tumor growth in vivo were examined in mouse xenograft model. Results: MTA1 knockdown or overexpression drastically changed the proliferation, colony formation and cell cycle of NPC cells in vitro. MTA1 depletion significantly suppressed NPC tumorigenesis in vivo. Conclusion: MTA1 promotes NPC cell proliferation via enhancing G1 to S phase transition, leading to increased tumor growth. Targeting MTA1 is a promising approach to reduce tumor burden of NPC.