Effects of si<scp>RNA</scp> Targeting c‐Myc and <scp>VEGF</scp> on Human Colorectal Cancer Volo Cells

Abstract

c-Myc and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) genes are frequently deregulated and overexpressed in this malignancy, and strategies designed to inhibit c-Myc and VEGF expression in cancer cells may have considerable therapeutic value. In the present study, we design and use short interfering RNA (siRNA) to inhibit c-Myc and VEGF expression in colorectal cancer Volo cells and validate their effects on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and cell metastasis. Upon transient transfection with plasmid-encoding siRNA, it was found that expression of c-Myc and VEGF was significantly downregulated in siRNA-transfected cells and the downregulation of c-Myc and VEGF inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis and metastasis of Volo cells. c-Myc and VEGF downregulation also increased cell population in the G0-G1 phase. In conclusion, the specific siRNA efficiently silenced the expression of c-Myc and VEGF, further suppressed the cell proliferation, triggered cell apoptosis, and inhibited cell invasiveness of colorectal cancer Volo cells.