Frizzled-2: A potential novel target for molecular pancreatic cancer therapy

In the present study, pancreatic cancer cell proliferation was analyzed following the suppression of frizzled (Fz)2 expression. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using RNA isolated from pancreatic cancer cell lines, PANC-1, NOR-P1, PK-45H, PK-1, PK-59, MIA-Paca2 and KP4. A surgical specimen of pancreatic cancer was immunostained with antibodies specific to Fz2. Cell proliferation assays were performed with MIA-Paca2 cells transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) or short hairpin RNA (shRNA) of Fz2. Fz2 was found to be expressed in all pancreatic cancer cell lines, with the exception of NOR-P1. Immunostaining revealed that Fz2 was not expressed in normal pancreatic tissues, while it was expressed in pancreatic cancer cells. The expression levels of cyclin D1 were analyzed by quantitative PCR. The proliferation and expression of cyclin D1 were suppressed with the siRNA and shRNA of Fz2 in the MIA-Paca2 cells. Therefore, Fz2 is a potential target for the molecular therapy of pancreatic cancer.