PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - YOUNG-JIN PARK AU - EUN-KYOUNG KIM AU - SOOK MOON AU - DOO-PYO HONG AU - JUNG YOON BAE AU - JIN KIM TI - Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Is a Promising Target for Cancer Inhibition in Squamous Cell Carcinomas DP - 2014 Nov 01 TA - Anticancer Research PG - 6389--6395 VI - 34 IP - 11 4099 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/34/11/6389.short 4100 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/34/11/6389.full SO - Anticancer Res2014 Nov 01; 34 AB - Background/Aim: The present study aimed to investigate whether the down-regulation of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) may induce an anti-invasive effect in oral squamous cell cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods: A genetically-engineered squamous carcinoma cell line overexpressing hTERT in immortalized oral keratinocytes transfected by human papilloma virus (HPV)-16 E6/E7 (IHOK) was used. In vivo tumorigenicity was examined using an orthotopic xenograft model of nude mice. For evaluating anti-invasive activity by knockdown of hTERT expression, transwell invasion assay and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) were employed. Results: The down-regulation of hTERT expression reduced the invasive activity and MMP expression. This result was re-confirmed in the HSC3 oral squamous carcinoma cell line. Conclusion: Targeting hTERT may lead to novel therapeutic approaches.