2. Academic Validation
  3. TMEM9 promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression via activating the MEK/ERK/STAT3 pathway to induce VEGF expression

TMEM9 promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression via activating the MEK/ERK/STAT3 pathway to induce VEGF expression

  • Cell Death Dis. 2024 Apr 25;15(4):295. doi: 10.1038/s41419-024-06669-8.
Zhiqian Wang 1 2,  Peng Zhao 3,  Kaihua Tian 4,  Zhongshi Qiao 1 2,  Hao Dong 1 2,  Jie Li 1 2,  Zitong Guan 1 2,  Hui Su 5,  Yang Song 6,  Xuezhen Ma 7
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Oncology, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
  • 2 Department of Oncology, Qingdao Central Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
  • 3 Biotherapy Center, Qingdao Central Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
  • 4 Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
  • 5 Department of Oncology, LiaochengPeople's Hospital, Liaocheng, Shandong, China.
  • 6 Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China. qdsongyang@126.com.
  • 7 Department of Oncology, Qingdao Central Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China. 18660229289@126.com.
PMID: 38664392 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06669-8
Abstract

Abnormal Transmembrane protein 9 (TMEM9) expression has been identified in various human tumors. However, the prognostic potential and mechanistic role of TMEM9 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain unclear. Here, we first found a significant upregulation of TMEM9 in LUAD tissues, and TMEM9 expression was positively correlated with microvessel density (MVD), T stage, and clinical stage. Survival analysis demonstrated TMEM9 was an independent indicator of poor prognosis in LUAD patients. In addition, downregulation of TMEM9 suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo models, and reduced HUVEC proliferation, migration, and tube formation in a Cancer cell/HUVEC coculture model. Furthermore, TMEM9 upregulated VEGF expression, and VEGF-neutralizing Antibodies reversed HUVEC angiogenesis and Cancer cell migration ability caused by overexpression of TMEM9. In contrast, recombinant VEGF (rVEGF) abolished the inhibitory effect of TMEM9-knockdown LUAD cells on HUVEC angiogenesis and tumor cell migration. Moreover, we showed that TMEM9 upregulated VEGF expression by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase/STAT3 (MEK/ERK/STAT3) pathway. Together, our study provides mechanistic insights into the role of TMEM9 in LUAD and highlights the potential of targeting the TMEM9/MEK/ERK/STAT3/VEGF pathway as a novel therapy for preventing LUAD progression.

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