Elevated kinesin family member 26B is a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Kinesins play a key role in the development and progression of many human cancers. The present study investigated the expression and clinical significance of kinesin family member 26B (KIF26B) in colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analyses as well as immunohistochemical staining of a tissue microarray we examined KIF26B mRNA and protein levels in CRC tumor tissues and paired adjacent normal mucosa. Moreover, the effect of KIF26B knockdown on CRC cell proliferation was investigated using Cell Counting Kit-8 assays. RESULTS: Expression of KIF26B was found to be elevated in CRC. Suppression of KIF26B inhibited CRC cell proliferation. Furthermore, upregulated expression of KIF26B was significantly correlated with tumor size (P = 0.020), American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage (P = 0.018), T stage (P = 0.026), N stage (P = 0.013), and differentiation histology (P = 0.047). KIF26B was also shown to be an independent prognostic indicator of overall survival for CRC patients (HR 5.621; 95% CI 2.302–13.730; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that KIF26B plays an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis and functions as a novel prognostic indicator and a potential therapeutic target for CRC.