Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is suggested to be one of the positive factors in the invasive progression of bladder cancer. Id-1 (inhibitor of differentiation or DNA binding), a helix-loop-helix (HLH) transcription factor, was recently identified as a key factor in the EGFR signalling pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Id-1 in bladder cancer progression and its relation-ship with EGFR. Using clinical specimens from different stages of bladder cancer, immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine if Id-1 expression was positively associated with tumour staging and EGFR expression. The direct role of Id-1 in cancer cell invasion was also investigated through ectopically expressing the Id-1 gene in a RT112 bladder cancer cell line by wound closure and collagen invasion assays. To explore the therapeutic potential of targeting the Id-1 gene in the treatment of invasive bladder cancer, we studied if inactivation of the Id-1 gene through small RNA interference could lead to the suppression of invasion in a MGHU1 bladder cancer cell line. Our results showed that the up-regulation of Id-1 was associated with increased EGFR expression, clinical staging and the invasion ability of bladder cancer cells. Inactivation of Id-1 may be a potential therapeutic target to inhibit the invasion by bladder cancer cells.

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