In vitro, EGFL7 was silenced by the small interference RNA in PC cells, and our data indicated that down-regulation of EGFL7 did not influence the cycle progression, proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis of PC cells (p>0.05), whereas inhibition of EGFL7 expression could decrease PaCa-2 cell invasion (p<0.05).
We have previously demonstrated that the secreted factor Epidermal Growth Factor-like Domain 7 (EGFL7) is expressed in trophoblast cells of the human placenta and that it regulates trophoblast migration and invasion, suggesting a role in placental development.
In summary, our findings suggest that EGFL7 is a key factor for regulation of EGFR signaling pathway and plays an important role in migration and invasion of invasive GHPA.