Effects of the regulation of polysialyltransferase ST8SiaII on the invasiveness and metastasis of small cell lung cancer cells

Invasiveness and metastasis may seriously affect the prognosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In the present study, we analyzed the effects and inherent mechanisms of action of polysialic acid-modified neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) on the invasive and metastatic potential of SCLC. Gene transfection and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference were used to enhance or inhibit, respectively, the expression of polysialyltransferase ST8SiaII in the SCLC cell line H446. We studied in vitro positive or negative changes in the invasive and metastatic potential of the SCLC cells as well as the changes in expression of genes related to signaling molecules and metastasis. When ST8SiaII expression was enhanced, the in vitro transmembrane invasion (P