Downregulation of Sp1 suppresses cell proliferation and migration in breast cancer

Background: Specificity protein 1 (Sp1) is a transcription factor which has been associated with metastasis in several cancers. Recent study has found that Sp1 expression was upregulated in breast cancer. However, the precise function of Sp1 in breast cancer is still unclear. Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the expression of Sp1 and its effect on proliferation and migration in breast cancer. Methods: Expression of Sp1 in breast cancer and adjacent tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. Quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) and western blotting assays were utilized to measure mRNA and protein expression levels of cells, respectively. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) transfection was performed to suppress the expression of Sp1. MTT assay and Transwell assays were used to determine the proliferative and migratory ability of cells. Results: The expression of Sp1 was significantly increased in breast cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. The knockdown of Sp1 significantly inhibited the Sp1 protein and mRNA expression, and downregulation of Sp1 significantly suppressed the proliferation and migration of MCF-7 cells. Conclusions: Sp1 may be involved in metastasis of cancer cell and can be considered as potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.