Effects of the cyclin-dependent kinase 10 (CDK10) on the tamoxifen sensitivity of keloid samples

Cyclin-dependent kinase 10 (CDK10) is a cell cycle regulating protein kinase, which has just been discriminated in recent years. In this paper, mRNA and protein expression of CDK10 were first investigated by a comparative study between 23 human keloid tissue samples and their adjacent normal skin. To further address its potential as a therapeutic target in the treatment of keloid, a plasmid expressing the CDK10 gene was transfected into keloid fibroblast. The effects on tamoxifen-induced apoptosis were then investigated using Western blot assay and flow cytometry. Results showed that there is a generally down-regulated expression of CDK10 in keloid compared to normal skin samples. Transfection with the recombinant CDK10 plasmid significantly decreased the viability of cells and increased the apoptosis rates. Tamoxifen sensitivity in keloid fibroblasts was observed after treatment with the recombinant CDK10 plasmid. The results suggested that CDK10 may play an important role in enhancement of tamoxifen efficiency, and its expression may have a synergistic effect on keloid treatments.