Therefore, searching for genes associated with the occurrence and development of esophageal cancer and its metastasis has become a heavily investigated topic in current studies. Examining the genes associated with the occurrence, development and metasta sis of esophageal cancer may provide a theoretical founda tion and potential therapeutic targets for the selleck products treatment of metastatic esophageal cancer. The mammalian HtrA serine protease family is com posed of homologous serine proteases with different domains. HtrA, also known as DegP, is a membrane serine protease with properties similar to those of heat shock proteins. HtrA is widely expressed in various micro organisms, plants and animals.

Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries HtrA acts as a mo lecular chaperone at low temperatures, whereas at high temperatures, HtrA functions as a serine protease involved in cellular defense against various stress conditions, such as heat shock, oxidative stress, inflammation, ischemia reperfusion and cancer, and HtrA degrades misfolded proteins within the cytoplasm. Currently, four members have been reported as belonging to the human HtrA family HtrA1, HtrA2, HtrA3 and HtrA4. HtrA1 was the first member identified in the human HtrA serine protease protein family. HtrA1 is a secreted protein that is involved in the degradation of the extracellular matrix. Ini tially detected in fibroblasts infected with simian virus 40, HtrA1 was also later found in cases of cartilage arthritis in which it played a positive role in regulating osteoarthritis.

HtrA1 is considered to be a tumor suppressor gene that reduces the transforming ability of fibroblasts and suppresses the growth of highly invasive tumors, such as ovarian cancer and invasive melanoma. In addition, previous research has reported that HtrA1 pro tein expression is associated Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries with tumor migration and metastasis. The expression of HtrA1 in human esophageal cancer tissues, as well as its relevance in the occurrence and development of esophageal cancers, has not yet been reported. Also, there have been no reports Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries correlating HtrA1 expression with esophageal cancer cell metastasis. This study utilized semi quantitative RT PCR and Western blotting to measure HtrA1 mRNA and protein expression in human esophageal cancer tissues and their adjacent normal esophageal tissues. We also used RNA interference or transfected an HtrA1 Inhibitors,Modulators,Libraries recombinant plas mid to downregulate or overexpress the HtrA1 protein in the Eca 109 human esophageal cancer cell line. Sub sequent changes in the invasiveness of Eca 109 cells Trichostatin A clinical were observed, and the relationship between HtrA1 pro tein expression and the occurrence, development and metastasis of human esophageal cancer was explored.