BACKGROUND: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most widespread cancer in humans and its incidence is rising. Novel therapy with better efficacy is needed for clinical treatment of cSCC. Many studies have shown the importance of DNA repair pathways during the development of cancer. A key nucleotide excision repair (NER) protein, xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD), is responsible for the excision of a large variety of bulky DNA lesions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: To explore the role of XPD in A431 cells, we overexpressed XPD in A431 cells and performed MTT assay, flow cytometry, and Western blot analysis to examine cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, and genes expression.

RESULTS: We found that the overexpression of XPD suppressed cell viability, induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, and promoted cell apoptosis. Additionally, XPD blocked the expression of c-myc, cdc25A, and cdk2, and improved the levels of HIPK2 and p53.

CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new evidence to reveal the role of XPD in cSCC A431 cells and suggest that XPD may serve as an anti-oncogene during cSCC development.

Keywords: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell