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Updated: May 4, 2026

Comparing Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Model Established in Mouse Kidney and on Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane
Published on: February 8, 2020
CD98hc (SLC3A2) drives integrin-dependent renal cancer cell behavior
Marina Poettler, Matthias Unseld, Kira Braemswig
1Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. gerald.pragergerald.prager@meduniwien.ac.at.
Silencing CD98hc (SLC3A2) in renal cancer cells inhibits tumor growth and survival. This highlights CD98hc’s role in tumorigenesis and suggests it as a therapeutic target for renal cell carcinoma.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- CD98hc (SLC3A2) overexpression is linked to various cancers and tumor progression.
- CD98hc, a component of the CD98 heterodimer, interacts with integrins, influencing cell adhesion, proliferation, and survival.
- Previous studies showed CD98hc is essential for embryonic development and anchorage-independent growth, but its role in established tumor cell behavior was unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of CD98hc expression on renal cell cancer behavior.
- To determine if targeting CD98hc can inhibit tumor cell tumorigenesis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized renal cell cancer cell lines for in vitro assays (adhesion, migration, spreading, apoptosis).
- Employed shRNA-lentiviral constructs for CD98hc knockdown and reconstitution.
- Evaluated tumorigenesis in vivo using a tumor transplantation model and analyzed proliferation via immunohistochemistry.
Main Results:
- CD98hc silencing in clear cell renal cancer cells reduced tumorigenic characteristics, including proliferation, survival, migration, and in vivo tumor growth.
- Tumorigenic properties were acquired via the integrin binding domain of CD98hc.
- CD98hc/integrin interaction is crucial for FAK phosphorylation and downstream PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling; FAK activation can rescue CD98hc deficiency.
Conclusions:
- Loss of CD98hc significantly blocks the tumorigenic potential of renal cell cancer cells.
- CD98hc is a critical driver of tumorigenesis in renal cell cancer.
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