Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40211270›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025

Lipocalin-2 promotes NSCLC progression by activating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Jinjin Zhang, Qin Xu, Gengyun Sun

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Jinjin ZhangDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province, 230022, Hefei, China.
Qin XuDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province, 230022, Hefei, China.
Gengyun SunDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Province, 230022, Hefei, China. sungengy@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNon-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a pleiotropic protein implicated in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, has been associated with multiple malignancies. However, its precise role in NSCLC and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to elucidate the function of LCN2 in NSCLC, with a particular focus on its involvement in the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway.

methodsLCN2 expression in NSCLC tissues was comprehensively analyzed using bioinformatics tools, including the Universal Analysis of Cancer (UALCAN), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), UCSC-XENA, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were employed to assess LCN2 expression levels in NSCLC cell lines. The functional impact of LCN2 on NSCLC cells, including proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis, were assessed through a series of in vitro assays, such as Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU, wound healing, and transwell migration and invasion assays. An in vivo xenograft model was established to investigate the effects of LCN2 on tumor growth and metastasis. Additionally, the involvement of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway was examined using western blotting and pharmacological inhibition with AG490.

resultsLCN2 was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and its elevated expression correlated with poor prognosis. Functional analyses demonstrated that LCN2 knockdown suppressed NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoting apoptosis. Mechanistically, LCN2 was found to activate the JAK2/STAT3 pathway by interacting with SOCS3, and pharmacological blockade of this pathway effectively abrogated the oncogenic effects of LCN2 overexpression.

conclusionsThis study identifies LCN2 as a potential oncogene in NSCLC, driving tumor progression through activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that targeting LCN2 or its downstream signaling components may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungDisease ProgressionJanus Kinase 2Lipocalin-2Lung NeoplasmsSignal TransductionSTAT3 Transcription FactorAnimalsApoptosisCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansMaleJAK2 protein, humanJanus Kinase 2LCN2 protein, humanLipocalin-2STAT3 protein, humanSTAT3 Transcription FactorJAK2/STAT3 signaling pathwayLipocalin-2MetastasisNon-small cell lung cancerProgression

Identifiers

PMID40211270
PMCPMC11987316

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.