Knockdown of SALL4 overcomes cisplatin-resistance through AKT/mTOR signaling in lung cancer cells.

Drug resistance is an important factor for the poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Sal-like protein 4 (Sall4) is a stem cell marker, and plays a role in maintaining self-renewal. Previous studies have demonstrated that Sall4 may be a candidate for use as support in the diagnosis of lung cancer, and may also represent a therapeutic target. However, the role of Sall4 on drug resistance of lung cancer cells and the mechanism by which Sall4 regulates the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to cisplatin (DDP) remains unknown. In this study, we aim to investigate whether knockdown of Sall4 by siRNA can enhance the apoptosis induced by cisplatin in lung cancer cells. We here reported that the expression of Sall4 was dramatically upregulated in cisplatin-resistant A549 cells compared with the parental cells. Knockdown of Sall4 by siRNA in cisplatin-resistant A549 cells reduced the IC compared with the parental cells. In addition, knockdown of Sall4 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and invasion cisplatin-resistant A549 cells through AKT/mTOR signaling. Our findings demonstrate that Sall4 is an essential regulator in cisplatin-induced apoptosis, and knockdown of Sall4 may restore cisplatin sensitivity in acquired resistant cells. Thus, our study provides an effective therapeutic strategy for NSCLC treatment.