CDC20 promotes radioresistance of prostate cancer by activating Twist1 expression

Currently, radiotherapy is one of the most attractive treatments for prostate cancer (PCa) patients. However, radioresistance remains a challenging issue and the underlying mechanism is unknown. Growing evidence has demonstrated that CDC20 (Cell division cycle protein 20) plays a pivotal role in a variety of tumors, including PCa. Here, GEPIA database mining and western blot analysis showed that higher expression of CDC20 was observed in PCa tissues and cells. We demonstrated that the expression of CDC20 was increased in PCa cells by irradiation, and knockdown of CDC20 resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, tumor formation, induced cell apoptosis and increased radiosensitivity in PCa in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we observed that CDC20 regulated Twist1 pathway, influencing cell proliferation and migration. These results suggest that targeting CDC20 and Twist1 may be an effective way to improve the radiosensitivity of PCa.