LEF1 silencing sensitizes colorectal cancer cells to oxaliplatin, 5-FU, and irinotecan.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer all around the world. Chemotherapy plays an essential role in the treatment of CRC while Oxaliplatin, Irinotecan, and 5 - fluorouracil (5-FU) are the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs. However, chemo-resistance is a major obstacle to successful therapy. It has been shown that inhibition of Wnt signaling pathway can sensitize the cells to chemotherapy. Lymphoid enhancer factor (LEF1) is a member of TCF/LEF transcription family mediating Wnt nuclear responses. The long isoform of LEF1 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer cells compared to the normal intestinal cells, in which expression of the short isoform is dominant. We found that the downregulation of long isoforms of LEF1 makes CRC cell lines more sensitive to the effect of chemotherapeutic drugs. This sensitivity is imposed by reduced proliferation, increased apoptosis, or cell cycle arrest. Our results also demonstrated that there is a balance in the expression of long, and short isoforms of LEF1. In summary, we showed the role of LEF1 in chemo-resistance of colorectal cancer cells to Oxaliplatin, Irinotecan and 5-FU.