SOX9 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion through BMP2 and mTOR signaling

SAY-related high-mobility-group box 9 (SOX9) is a member of the SOX family of transcription factors. Accumulating evidence has shown that SOX9 plays a significant role in various malignancies. However, the role of SOX9 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unknown. In the present study, up-regulation of SOX9 was observed in both NPC tissues and different NPC cells. Overexpression of SOX9 promoted NPC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Conversely, knock down of SOX9 inhibited NPC proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion. Mechanistically, SOX9 bound directly to the promoter region of BMP2 and increased BMP2 expression. In addition, overexpression of SOX9 activated the mTOR pathway partly through BMP2. Collectively, these results identify a novel role for SOX9 as a potential therapeutic marker for the prevention and treatment of NPC.