125I seeds inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis in cholangiocarcinoma cells by regulating the AGR2-mediated p38 MAPK pathway

I-125 seeds can effectively inhibit the growth of a variety of cancer cells. It has been used in the treatment of a variety of cancers, and has achieved certain curative effect. However, to the best of our knowledge, no report has described the effects of I-125 seeds on the biological functions of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and the mechanisms underlying the effects of the seeds on this cancer. In this study, we demonstrated that I-125 seeds could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of CCA cells, as well as promoting apoptosis and blocking the cell cycle in these cells. Moreover, I-125 seeds inhibited the growth of CCA xenografts and promoted the apoptosis of CCA cells in vivo. Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing showed that I-125 seeds could inhibit the growth of CCA by inhibiting the expression of AGR2 and regulating p38 MAPK pathway. Finally, this finding indicated that I-125 seeds can inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis in CCA cells by inhibiting the expression of AGR2 and DUSP1 and increasing the expression of p-p38 MAPK and p-p53. This study provides a new research direction for studies investigating the mechanisms underlying the effects of I-125 seeds on CCA.

Automated summary

The study reveals that I-125 seeds have inhibitory effects on the biological functions of cholangiocarcinoma cells, promoting apoptosis, blocking the cell cycle, and inhibiting the growth of xenografts. By affecting AGR2 and regulating the p38 MAPK pathway, I-125 seeds can suppress proliferation and enhance apoptosis in CCA cells.