The Role of the Carcinoembryonic Antigen Receptor in Colorectal Cancer Progression

Clinical and experimental data suggest that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA, CD66e, CEACAM-5) plays a key role in the formation of hepatic metastasis from colorectal and other types of epithelial cancers. The molecular events involved in CEA-induced metastasis have yet to be defined. Our group first cloned the gene (CEAR) for CEA-binding protein from the surface of fixed liver macrophages, (Kupffer cells). In this study to further elucidate the role of CEAR in colorectal cancer progression, its expression in colorectal cancer cells was suppressed by short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) in CEA-overexpressing and CEA - negative MIP-101 colorectal cancer cell lines. The data show that targeted suppression of endogenous CEAR in tumor cells resulted in changes in cell invasiveness. RT-PCR data indicated reduced levels of E-cadherin, Snail, MMP-2, and Oct-4 in the clones with suppressed CEAR suggesting a role in the epithelial mesenchymal transition. The comparative analysis of tumorigenic activity to the liver of the cell lines with suppressed CEAR has also been conducted using an intrasplenic injection model in immuno-deficient mice. This data shows a decrease in tumor progression associated with CEAR suppression. In summary the results of this study revealed a novel role for CEAR gene in the regulation of colorectal cancer cell invasiveness and progression.