Knockdown of TFRC suppressed the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by downregulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Background: The transferrin receptor (TfR) encoded by TFRC gene is the main cellular iron importer. TfR is highly expressed in many cancers and is expected to be a promising new target for cancer therapy; however, its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unknown.

Methods: The TfR levels were investigated in NPC tissues and cell lines using immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.