LRRC15 accelerates lung adenocarcinoma cells' proliferation and chemoresistance

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most common malignant tumors and poses a serious threat to patient health and survival. Leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 15 (LRRC15) has been reported to act as a promoter in certain cancers, and importantly, its expression has been found to be elevated in LUAD. Methods: Protein expression was examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC, n = 6 for tissues) and Western blotting. Cell survival rate (%) and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit (CCK)-8 assay. Cell proliferation was evaluated through colony formation assays. Results: LRRC15 expression was significantly upregulated in LUAD tissues and cell lines, and was associated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of LRRC15 inhibited cell proliferation, and suppression of LRRC15 reduced cisplatin resistance by limiting autophagy. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that LRRC15 promoted autophagy through activation of Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 (ULK1). Conclusions: These findings indicate that LRRC15 may enhance both proliferation and chemoresistance of LUAD cells by triggering ULK1-mediated autophagy. Therefore, LRRC15 may represent a potential therapeutic target for improving LUAD treatment outcomes.

LRRC15; LUAD; Autophagy; Chemoresistance

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