Effect of CEACAM‑1 knockdown in human colorectal cancer cells

Abstract

Carcinoembryonic antigen‑related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM‑1) is the major antigen of the CD66 cluster of granulocyte differentiation antigens. The present study aimed to assess the biological function of CEACAM‑1 on the growth of human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in vitro. Treatment of cultured CRC HCT‑8 cells with CEACAM‑1‑specific siRNA successfully downregulated CEACAM‑1 expression by 61% compared with control cells. The effects of CEACAM‑1 downregulation on HCT‑8 cell proliferation and apoptosis were then assessed via Cell Counting kit‑8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The results demonstrated that siRNA‑induced CEACAM‑1 downregulation significantly inhibited proliferation and increased apoptosis, but had no significant effect on cell cycle progression in HCT‑8 cells. Together, these results suggest that CEACAM‑1 activity is critical to CRC growth, and thus, CEACAM‑1 may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC.