SOX1 suppresses cell growth and induces apoptosis by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common malignancy diagnosis and the second leading cause of cancer related mortalities worldwide. The role of SOX1 has been explored in several human cancers. However, its effects in gastric cancer have never been reported. In our study, we investigated the expression level of SOX1 and its biological function in GC. Firstly, we found that SOX1 is down-regulated GC tissues and cell lines on both mRNA and protein levels. Next, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of SOX1 significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in GC cell lines. Furthermore, we showed that SOX1 may exert its tumor suppressive role by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in gastric cancer. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SOX1 may play important roles in the development of gastric cancer and SOX1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of gastric cancer.