Inhibition of motile and invasive properties of ovarian cancer cells by ASODN against Rho-associated protein kinase

Abstract

p160ROCK, a kinase effector of Rho GTPase mediating RhoA-induced assembly of focal adhesions and stress fibers, plays an important role in the invasive process of various tumor cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of p160ROCK in the invasive behaviors of human ovarian cancer cells and their metastasis. Transfection with a dominant-active form of p160ROCK mutant (p160ROCKΔ3) enhanced cell migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells, while antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASODN) against p160ROCK inhibited the motile and invasive properties of the cells. Our data suggested that p160ROCK was involved in ovarian cancer cell invasion and metastasis by facilitating cancer cell migration, and that p160ROCK might be a potential new effective target for preventing metastasis of ovarian cancer. Copyright © Taylor & Francis LLC.