Upregulation Promotes Cancer Cell Migration and Confers a Poor Prognosis in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) remains a difficult-to-treat disease with a poor prognosis. While prominin-1 () is largely investigated in a variety of malignancies, the role of prominin-2 (), the other member of the prominin family, has not been studied in LUSC. Transcriptomic data derived from matched tumor and adjacent non-tumorous lung tissues of LUSC patients were employed to conduct an in-depth analysis of the genetic and epigenetic regulation of prominin genes within LUSC, utilizing bioinformatic approaches. Furthermore, cellular behavior experiments were executed to discern the biological functions of . It was observed that , in contrast to , exhibited significant upregulation and overexpression at both the mRNA and protein levels in LUSC, and this upregulation was correlated with shortened patient survival. Transcriptomic analysis unveiled DNA methylation as an epigenetic regulatory mechanism associated with expression. Notably, two transcription factors, and , were identified as potential regulators of expression. Subsequent investigations demonstrated that knocking down led to the inhibition of cancer cell migration and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In summary, the pronounced upregulation of in LUSC patients was linked to an unfavorable prognosis, possibly attributable to its influence on cancer cell migration and EMT. These findings suggest that could serve as a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in the management of LUSC. Consequently, further research into the mechanistic aspects and potential therapeutic interventions targeting is warranted in the clinical context.