Chromatin modified protein 4C (CHMP4C) facilitates the malignant development of cervical cancer cells

Despite improvements in prevention and treatment, cervical cancer (CC) still poses a serious threat to women’s health. CHMP4C (chromatin modified protein 4C) is a subunit of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport, which is expressed in both nucleus and cytoplasm. Here, we examined the effect of CHMP4C on the biological behavior of CC cells and the underlying mechanisms. We report that CHMP4C expression is higher in CC tissues, and high CHMP4C expression is associated with lower survival. Up‐regulation of CHMP4C in C‐33A cells accelerates cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas down‐regulation of CHMP4C in Ca Ski cells had the opposite effect. Moreover, overexpression of CHMP4C induced activation of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway, whereas depletion of CHMP4C inhibited activation. Our results suggest that CHMP4C contributes to the viability and motility of CC cells by modulating epithelial–mesenchymal transition and may facilitate the identification of novel biomarkers for CC therapy.