Dicoumarol suppresses HMGA2-mediated oncogenic capacities and inhibits cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis in colon cancer

Abstract Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths and its five-year survival rate remains low in locally advanced or metastatic stages of colon cancer. Overexpression of high mobility group protein AT-hook2 (HMGA2) is associated with cancer progression, metastasis, and poor prognosis in many malignancies. Oxidative stress regulates cellular mechanisms and provides an environment that favors the cancer cells to survive and progress, yet, at the same time, oxidative stress can also be utilized as a cancer-damaging strategy. The molecular regulatory roles of HMGA2 in oxidative stress and their involvement in cancer progression are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the involvement of HMGA2 in regulation of oxidative stress responses by luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, we utilized dicoumarol (DIC), a derivative of coumarin which has been suggested to be involved in oxidation regulation with anticancer effects, and demonstrated that DIC could induce apoptosis and inhibit cell migration of HMGA2 overexpressing colon cancer cells. Further investigation also evidenced that DIC can enhance the cancer inhibition effect of 5-FU in colony formation assays. Taken together, our data revealed novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying HMGA2 and highlighted the possibility of targeting the cellular antioxidant system for treating patients and preventing from cancer progression in HMGA2 overexpressing colon cancer cells.