Abstract
BACKGROUND: The estrogen-related receptor gamma (ESRRG) gene has been identified as a potential marker for favorable prognosis and a candidate therapeutic target in various cancer types. However, its role in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) has been less studied. In this study, we investigated the effect of ESRRG on proliferation and metastasis of LSCC. METHODS: Tumor tissues from LSCC patients were evaluated for ESRRG mRNA expression by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic value of ESRRG mRNA expression level for LSCC was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Impact of differential ESRRG expression on cultured LSCC cell lines was assessed in vitro by colony-forming cell assay, CCK-8 test, wound-healing assay, transwell assay, cell cycle assay and cell apoptosis assay. RESULTS: Clinical analysis revealed that ESRRG expression in LSCC tissues was significantly lower than in adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Furthermore, reduced ESRRG expression was significantly associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, tumor location, and clinical stage. Upregulation of ESRRG inhibited cell growth and migration, while its downregulation enhanced these functions. Moreover, ESRRG was found to influence cell cycle progression in LSCC cells. CONCLUSION: Our findings propose that ESRRG may inhibit tumor growth and metastasis in LSCC.