IGF2BP2 promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation and survival through interfering with RAF-1 degradation by miR-195.

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) is a post-transcriptional regulatory factor implicated in mRNA localization, stability, and translational control. However, the role of IGF2BP2 regulation in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its underlying mechanism remain elusive. In this study, we found that IGF2BP2 expression is markedly increased in CRC tissues. Notably, IGF2BP2 overexpression strikingly enhanced the proliferation and survival of CRC cells in vitro, whereas its shRNA-mediated silencing resulted in the opposite. Molecular function analyses revealed that IGF2BP2 regulates RAF1 expression through blocking its degradation by miR-195. These results identify IGF2BP2 as a post-transcriptional regulatory mRNA-binding factor that contributes to CRC carcinogenesis.