The role of CXCR7, a seven-transmembrane G-protein coupled chemokine receptor, which binds with high affinity to chemokine CXCL11 and CXCL12 in oral cancer cells and the effect of transient CXCR7-downregulation on proliferation and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells have not been reported. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of CXCR7 on an OSCC cell line. In this study, we down-regulated CXCR7 in the KOSCC25B OSCC cell line by siRNA. In vitro cell proliferation and migration assays were used to investigate the effect of CXCR7- downregulation on cell proliferation and migration in si.KOSCC25B cells. The CXCR7 down-regulated OSCC cells grew significantly slower than the negative control siRNA transfected KOSCC25B cells (p<0.05). Additionally, migration of si.KOSCC25B cells decreased significantly compared with non-transfected KOSCC25B cells (p<0.007). These results suggest that down-regulation of CXCR7 induces anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effects in OSCC, and that CXCR7 may be a useful target molecule for the treatment of OSCC.

Abstract
 Ⅰ. INTRODUCTION
 Ⅱ. MATERIALS and METHODS
  1. CELL CULTURES
  2. siRNA TRANSFECTION OF CXCR7
  3. RT-PCR AND SEMI-QUANTITATIVE PCR ANALYSIS
  4. CELL PROLIFERATION ASSYAS
  5. IN VITRO MIGRATION ASSAY
  6. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
 Ⅲ. RSULTS
  1. SCREENING OF ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA CELL LINES
  2. CONFIRMATION OF CXCR7 KNOCKDOWN BY siRNA
  3. ANTI-PROLIFERATIC EFFECTS OF CXCR7-DOWNREGULATION
  4. REDUCED MIGRATION DUE TO CXCR7-DOWNREGULATION
 Ⅳ. DISCUSSION
 REFERENCES

• 홍지수(서울대학교 치의학대학원 구강병리학교실) | Ji-Soo Hong
• 김지연(서울대학교 치의학대학원 구강병리학교실) | Ji-Yeon Kim
• 홍성두(서울대학교 치의학대학원 구강병리학교실) | Seong-Doo Hong
• 이재일(서울대학교 치의학대학원 구강병리학교실) | Jae-Il Lee Correspondence