Using tissue microarrays, we found that strong LIN28A expression was reactivated in about 10% (7.1-17.1%) of epithelial tumors (six tumor types, n = 369).
Our findings therefore show a critical role for the REST-LIN28A axis in tumor aggression and suggest a causative relationship between REST loss and tumorigenicity in vivo.
The inhibitory effects of Zcchc11 depletion on the tumorigenic capacity and metastatic potential of human cancer cells and xenografts are restricted to Lin28A-expressing tumors.
To further understand the role of lin-28 in cancer, we analysed the expression of lin-28 and its homologue lin-28B in tumour samples, and evaluated their associations with let-7a maturation, IGF-II expression, disease features and outcomes in 211 patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer.