The anticancer effect of EGFR‐targeting artificial microRNA controlled by SLPI promoter in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: This study intends to use artificial microRNA (recombinant adenovirus vector) targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to inhibit the overexpressed EGFR in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, thereby inhibiting the proliferation and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHOD: The research group verified the expression of EGFR in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through databases, clinical tissues, and cellular pathways. The team first tested the transfection of the recombinant adenovirus by fluorescence microscopy. After adenovirus treatment with different multiplicity of infection (MOI), EGFR level and cell viability in cells were examined by Western blot and MTT assay. Next, the effects of adenovirus (Ad)‐SLPI‐EGFR on cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and related proteins were sequentially examined by EdU, scratch, Transwell, and Western blot. In vivo experiments were performed to evaluate the biological function of EGFR in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. RESULT: All three validation pathways showed the increase in EGFR expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Transfection tests showed that the SLPI promoter was specific in CNE2 cells. With the increase in MOI, the inhibition of EGFR expression and cancer cell viability by Ad‐SLPI‐EGFR was enhanced. Meanwhile, Ad‐SLPI‐EGFR effectively reduced the proliferation and metastasis of CNE2 cells and affected the expression of related proteins. Furthermore, Ad‐SLPI‐EGFR inhibited the invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in vivo. CONCLUSION: Ad‐SLPI‐EGFR inhibits the expression of EGFR in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, and finally achieves the purpose of inhibiting the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells, which may provide novel targeted intervention for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.