Notch is a critical regulator in cervical cancer by regulating numb splicing

Abstract

Cervical cancer, which is the second most common female malignancy, is characterized by the consistent presence of human papillomavirus. Inappropriate activation of Notch signaling has been associated with various types of cancer; however, the role of Notch in cervical cancer remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of Notch in cervical cancer. The methods used included the generation of plasmids, viability assays, polymerase chain reaction and western blotting The present findings demonstrated that cervical cancer samples also consistently exhibit abnormal activation of the Notch pathway. The data also indicated that different Numb isoforms may have opposite effects on the proliferation of cervical cancer cells. As a result, the activated Notch signaling pathway regulates the alternative splicing of the Numb gene, which affects the proliferation of the cervical cancer cells. These findings suggest that activated Notch signaling may lead to the development of cervical cancer by regulating Numb splicing. Thus, Numb splice variants may be a potential clinical marker for indicating cervical cancer genesis and development.