Biglycan promotes proliferation and metastasis of ovarian cancer.

Objective: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a significant threat to the health of women. Biglycan (BGN) plays a crucial role in the oncogenesis and progression of various human cancers. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of BGN in OC.

Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to detect BGN levels in the OC tissues of 68 patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery. Normal ovarian tissues were collected from 21 patients with benign gynecological tumors who underwent oophorectomy. Western blot analysis was conducted to detect BGN levels in human OC and normal ovarian cells. The functions of BGN in OC cells were assessed with the Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing, and transwell migration assays following upregulation or downregulation of BGN in vitro.

Results: BGN expression was elevated in OC tissues as compared to normal tissues. The basal level of BGN was also higher in OC cells than in normal cells. Knockdown of BGN reduced the proportion of surviving OC cells, increased wound healing, and decreased cell migration, while overexpression produced the opposite effects.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that high BGN expression enhances proliferation and migration of OC cells, indicating that BGN is a potential target for treatment of OC.