In vitro effect of iASPP on cell growth of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

iASPP is an inhibitory member of the apoptosis-stimulating proteins of P53 (ASPP) family. iASPP is over expressed in several malignant tumors and potentially affects cancer progression. However, the expression and potential role of iASPP in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) have not been addressed. In our study, we detected iASPP expression in OTSCC by immunohistochemistry. iASPP expression is up-regulated in OTSCC tissues. Moreover, in clinical pathology specimens, we found that increased iASPP expression correlates with poor differentiation and lymph node metastasis. Using multicellular tumor spheroids (MTS) and flow cytometry, we demonstrated that iASPP down-regulation arrests OTSCC cells at the G0/G1 phase, induces OTSCC cell apoptosis and inhibits OTSCC cell proliferation. These results indicate that iASPP plays a significant role in the progression of OTSCC and may serve as a biomarker or therapeutic target for OTSCC patients.