HCFC2 knockdown in human colorectal cancer cell lines

There is an urgent and unmet need for improved therapeutic approaches against aggressive colorectal cancer (CRC). Host Cell Factor 2 (HCF-2) is a transcriptional coactivator with an emerging role in cancer biology. Our data suggest that HCF-2 is a critical effector of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator 1 beta (PGC-1β) signaling in CRC, supporting its potential as a targetable vulnerability in aggressive disease. Previous findings from our lab show that shRNA-mediated depletion of HCF-2 decreases anchorage-independent growth in CRC models, indicating a role for HCF-2 in CRC cell survival. To identify transcriptional programs regulated downstream of HCF-2, we performed RNA-seq following shRNA-mediated HCF-2 knockdown in SW620 and T84 CRC cell lines. Knockdown efficiency was confirmed by western blot prior to sample submission, and RNA-seq data were provided to collaborators for downstream computational analysis. The resulting transcriptomic profile will help define HCF-2-dependent gene expression programs and potential targetable vulnerabilities in aggressive CRC.