Ebp1 p48 Promotes Oncogenic Properties in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Through PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathways

Lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is highly deadly globally. The potential carcinogenic role of p48, a long isoform of ErbB3-binding protein 1 (Ebp1), is well established in other cancers, but its impact on NSCLC remains unconfirmed.

Several databases were utilized to compare Ebp1 expression in normal lung and NSCLC. Immunohistochemical staining was employed to identify Ebp1 expression in both types of tissue. The TCGA database assessed Ebp1 expression in NSCLC and its impact on overall survival. Ebp1 expression was knocked down in A549 and PC9 cells, and the impact of Ebp1 on the cell growth was tested by CCK-8, plate clone colony, soft agar colony generation assay, and cell cycle assays. Scratch, transwell, and in vivo were also used to confirm the effects of Ebp1 on Lung cancer cells migration, invasion. Western blot detection of EMT and signal pathway-related proteins.

This study revealed that NSCLC had significantly higher levels of Ebp1 p48 expression. We discovered a correlation between Ebp1 p48 expression and pathological grade, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and overall survival (OS) using NSCLC tissue microarrays. In vitro and in vivo tumor cell growth, migration, invasion, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and cell proliferation are all markedly suppressed when Ebp1 p48 is knocked down in NSCLC cells. Moreover, PI3K and Akt phosphorylation levels were decreased by Ebp1 p48 knockdown.

According to these findings, Ebp1 p48 stimulated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in NSCLC, which in turn facilitated invasion, migration, and proliferation. As a result, in NSCLC, Ebp1 p48 may be a prospective therapeutic target as well as a predictive biomarker.