betaIII-tubulin is a multifunctional protein involved in drug sensitivity and tumorigenesis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a dismal prognosis. betaIII-Tubulin, a protein highly expressed in neuronal cells, is strongly associated with drug-refractory and aggressive NSCLC. To date, the role of this protein in in vivo drug resistance and tumorigenesis has not been determined. NSCLC cells stably expressing betaIII-tubulin short hairpin RNA displayed reduced growth and increased chemotherapy sensitivity when compared with control clones. In concordance with these results, stable suppression of betaIII-tubulin reduced the incidence and significantly delayed the growth of tumors in mice relative to controls. Our findings indicate that betaIII-tubulin mediates not only drug sensitivity but also the incidence and progression of lung cancer. betaIII-Tubulin is a cellular survival factor that, when suppressed, sensitizes cells to chemotherapy via enhanced apoptosis induction and decreased tumorigenesis. Findings establish that upregulation of a neuronal tubulin isotype is a key contributor to tumor progression and drug sensitivity in lung adenocarcinoma.