Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the effect of β-carotenoids on the HPV related cervical cancer.
Methods: Western blot was used to detect the protein expression. CCK8 and transwell assays were used to determine proliferation and metastasis ability of cancer cell.
Results: In this study, we found HPV16E7 promoted the development of cervical cancer by elevating the expression of TERT. TERT was upregulated in tumor tissue and positively associated with the progression of cervical cancer. The patient with higher expression of TERT predicted to have poorer prognosis. HPV16E7 enhanced the expression of TERT by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Conclusions: Antioxidant vitamin β-carotenoids could inhibit the effect of HPV16E7 on the expression of TERT by inactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and suppressed the cervical cancer progression induced by HPV16E7.