Open Access

ARTICLE

Overexpression of Interferon Regulatory Factor 7 (IRF7) Reduces Bone Metastasis of Prostate Cancer Cells in Mice

Yang Zhao, Wenxia Chen, Weiliang Zhu, Hui Meng, Jie Chen, Jian Zhang

Department of Oncology, Southern Medical University Affiliated Zhujiang Hospital, Guangzhou, P.R. China

Oncology Research 2017, 25(4), 511-522. https://doi.org/10.3727/096504016X14756226781802

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the role of interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) in the bone metastasis of prostate cancer. Herein we demonstrated the lower expression of IRF7 in bone metastases of prostate cancer. Overexpression of IRF7 in prostate cancer cells had a marked effect on inhibiting bone metastases but not on tumor growth in xenograft nude mice. While in vitro, upregulation of IRF7 had little effect on the malignant phenotype of prostate cancer cells including proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. However, prostate cancer cells overexpressing IRF7 significantly enhanced the activity of NK cells, which resulted in the cytolysis of prostate cancer target cells. The underlying mechanism may be relevant to the increasing expression of IFN-β induced by IRF7, as the downregulation of which could inversely inhibit the activity of NK cells. In conclusion, our findings indicate that IRF7 plays a role in reducing bone metastasis of prostate cancer by IFN-β-mediated NK activity.

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