Anti-cancer Effects of Glypican-3 on Huh-7 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Aim: Previous studies have suggested Glypican-3 (GPC3) could be a valuable diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma. This study examined the effects of overexpression of GPC3 on Huh-7 hepatoma cells. Methods: We constructed a recombinant plasmid vector pcDNA3.1 (+)-GPC3 for GPC3 overexpression studies in Huh-7 cells. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to confirm GPC3 gene expression. Cell proliferation was evaluated by 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay. Cell cycle progression and apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry using propidium iodide (PI) and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, respectively. Cell migration and invasion were examined by Boyden Transewll and Matrigel assays. Results: GPC3 overexpression effectively inhibited proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest at S phase and increased apoptosis in Huh-7 cells. Furthermore, GPC3 overexpression significantly inhibited the migration and invasion ability of Huh-7 cells. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that GPC3 could be a new therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma