Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) promotes cholangiocarcinoma progression via inflammation-associated and vasculogenic mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a lethal cancer associated with chronic inflammation caused by Opisthorchis viverrini infection, with high prevalence in Thailand. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), a serine protease inhibitor involved in inflammation, has recently been identified as an oncogenic factor in several malignancies. However, its role in CCA remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that SLPI is significantly upregulated during CCA development in both human and hamster-induced tissues. Higher SLPI expression was correlated with poor patient survival based on bioinformatic analyses. SLPI was elevated in highly metastatic CCA cell lines and further inducible by IL-6 stimulation. Overexpression of SLPI enhanced tumorigenic properties, including proliferation, migration, invasion

SUBMITTER: Chueajedton K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12818638 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature