TTK is a potential therapeutic target for cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer

Background Drug resistance and recurrence are main contributors to the poor prognosis of ovarian cancer. Cisplatin is a platinum compound which is widely used in the treatment of various solid tumors including ovarian cancer. Up to now, the mechanism of cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer is unclear. Threonine and tyrosine kinase (TTK), an integral part of the spindle assembly checkpoint, may be a potential new target associated with chemotherapy sensitivity. Results TTK was up-regulated in the cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cell line. Down-regulation of TTK could recover the sensitivity of cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin treatment. Mechanistically, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was activated in cisplatin-resistant cells, and this pathway would be affected by TTK expression. Furthermore, TTK was highly expressed in the tissues of ovarian cancer patients, especially those acquired resistance to cisplatin. Conclusions Our study revealed that TTK may be a promising therapeutic target for cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer.

Automated summary

TTK is up-regulated in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer, and down-regulation of TTK can restore sensitivity to cisplatin, with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway affected by TTK expression.