The type-1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is one member of tyrosine protein kinase receptor family. It is a causal factor for tumor initiation, development and frequently overactivated in a variety of human malignancies, including endometrial carcinoma. To investigate its possibility as a therapeutic target for endometrial carcinoma, we adopted RNA interference technology to down-regulate IGF-1R expression in endometrial carcinoma and analyzed its apoptosis inductive effect and tumorigenicity in vivo. Results showed that RNAi mediated down-regulation of IGF-1R expression in endometrial carcinoma significantly induced apoptosis, reduced downstream protein phosphorylation and decreased tumorigenicity in vivo accompanied with lower proliferation index in tumor tissue, Which implied the therapeutic potential of RNAi in the treatment of endometrial carcinoma by targeting IGF-1R and IGF-1R may be a potential therapeutic target for human endometrial carcinoma.
