Moreover, transforming growth factor-β induced RUNX2/ p57 overexpression and specific RUNX2 knockdown supported a role for RUNX2 in epithelial mesenchymal transition, which was demonstrated through loss of function assays in adenocarcinoma A549 lung cancer cell line.
Examination of RUNX2 expression in esophageal cancer showed its upregulation concomitant with the development of dysplasia and continued expression in adenocarcinoma.
The clinical significance of these findings is supported by human tissue microarray studies of prostate tumors at stages of cancer progression, in which Runx2 is expressed in both adenocarcinomas and metastatic tumors.