SATB1 promotes tumor metastasis and invasiveness in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Objective Our aim is to evaluate the expression of SATB1 in human oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and its role in the invasiveness and metastasis of OSCC. Subjects and methods A human OSCC tissue microarray was used to evaluate the expression pattern of SATB1. SATB1 mRNA knockdown was performed in human OSCC cell lines SCC25 and Cal27 to assess the function of SATB1 in the invasiveness and metastasis of OSCC. Results SATB1 is highly expressed in human OSCC determined by immunohistochemistry, and its nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio of histoscore is significantly correlated with patients’ prognosis. Reduced cell motility, invasiveness, expression of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers (N-cadherin and β-catenin), and elevated expression of epithelial markers were observed in SATB1-knockdown cells in in vitro studies. Depletion of SATB1 also restored a cobblestone-like morphology in TGF-β1-treated cells. Conclusions These findings suggest SATB1 may play an important role in OSCC invasiveness and metastasis.