Fig. 2. Knockdown of SOX2 inhibits nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation, colony formation, and tumor growth.

a Western blotting analysis of SOX2 protein expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and normal nasopharyngeal cells. Actin was used as a control. b Western blot analysis of SOX2 knockdown in HNE-1 and C666-1 cells. c, d Effects of SOX2 knockdown on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation. e Effects of SOX2 knockdown on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell colony formation. f Representative bioluminescence images of SOX2 knockdown-inhibited HNE-1 subcutaneous tumor generation. Mice were imaged at 3–4 weeks after implantation. Data were from two independent experiments with five mice per group with similar results. f Quantification of the bioluminescence activity in e. Error bars ± SD. *P < 0.05. Data are representative from two independent experiments