Description
There is some emerging evidence that members of the Schlafen (SLFN) family of  proteins mediate antineoplastic responses, but the mechanisms accounting for these  effects are not known. We provide evidence that human SLFN5, an interferon (IFN)-  inducible member of the family, exhibits key roles in controlling motility and  invasiveness of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. Our studies define the mechanism by  which this occurs, demonstrating that SLFN5 negatively controls expression of matrix  metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 and -13 and several other genes involved in the control of  malignant cell motility. Importantly, our data establish that SLFN5 expression correlates  with a better overall survival in a large cohort of patients with RCC. The inverse  relationship between SLFN5 expression and RCC aggressiveness raises the possibility of  developing unique therapeutic approaches in the treatment of RCC, by modulating  SLFN5 expression. Overall design: Examination of 2 SLFN5 knockdown cells and 2 controls, in triplicate.