Key result
TMOD3 upregulation promotes liver cancer proliferation and invasion via the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.
Why the study?
Little is known regarding the role of TMOD3 and its underlying mechanisms in liver cancer progression.
Does TMOD3 promote liver cancer progression?
Observational (n=50)
No
Does TMOD3 promote liver cancer progression?
p-value: p=<0.001
TMOD3 promotes liver cancer cell growth, invasion, and migration through the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, suggesting it as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target.
TMOD3 may drive HCC progression via MAPK/ERK in preclinical models; leaves open its value as biomarker or target for clinical validation.
Tropomodulin 3 (TMOD3) is a member of the pointed‑end capping protein family that contributes to invasion and metastasis in several types of malignancies. TMOD3 has been found to be crucial for membranous skeleton and embryonic development; however, little is known regarding the role of TMOD3 in liver cancer progression. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the mechanism underlying the TMOD3‑regulated promotion of liver cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine whether TMOD3 is associated with liver cancer progression. TMOD3 expression was found to be elevated in liver cancer cells and tissues. In the in vitro experiments, liver cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration were inhibited by TMOD3 knockdown and promoted by ectopic expression of TMOD3. Furthermore, mechanistic analysis indicated that TMOD3 overexpression activated mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and increased the levels of other targets of this pathway, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2, MMP9 and cyclin D1. TMOD3 overexpression was associated with changes in liver cancer cell morphology and altered expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers. High TMOD3 expression was hypothesized to promote epithelial‑to‑mesenchymal transition in liver cancer cells. In conclusion, TMOD3 was shown to promote liver cancer cell growth, invasion and migration through the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, and it may serve as a candidate biomarker and therapeutic target in liver cancer.
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Jin et al. (2019) conducted an observational in Primary liver cancer (n=50). High TMOD3 expression vs. Low TMOD3 expression / adjacent non-tumor tissues was evaluated on TMOD3 expression in liver cancer tissues compared to matched non-tumor tissues (p=<0.001). TMOD3 expression was significantly upregulated in liver cancer tissues and promoted liver cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.
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