Effects of NDRG2 Overexpression on Metastatic Behaviors of HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cell Line

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) is frequently down-regulated in cancer, and plays an important role in the control of tumor growth and metastasis. Its manipulation has been suggested as a therapy in cancer. Here, we examined the outcome of NDRG2 overexpression on proliferation, invasion, migration and MMP activity of HCT116 colorectal cancer cell line. The HCT116 cell line (human colorectal cancer) was transfected with pCMV6-AC-GFP-NDRG2. 2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to detect cell proliferation. The invasion and migration of the transfected cells were examined through transwell chambers while the MMP-9 activity was detected by the ability of the cells to digest gelatin. Overexpression of NDRG2 by stable NDRG2 transfection decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability, along with decreasing MMP-9 activity. Our data indicate that NDRG2 overexpression can suppress several aspect of tumorigenesis. Further investigations are necessitated to verify if NDRG2 molecule can be a therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.