Lysyl oxidase-like 2 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer cells and promotes the development of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer. In the present study, the expression and intracellular localization of lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) protein in CRC were examined. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis of LOXL2 mRNA and protein expression was performed for 40 pairs of CRC tumor and normal mucosa tissue samples. The immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays was performed to detect LOXL2 protein expression. LOXL2 was highly expressed in the extracellular matrix and CRC cells. The positive expression of LOXL2 in CRC cells was significantly associated with the tumor tumor-node metastasis stage and distant metastasis, while elevated LOXL2 expression within the CRC cells was an independent prognostic factor in patients with CRC. The knockdown of LOXL2 impaired the proliferative and migratory abilities of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo, and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These findings indicated that LOXL2 might have an important role in CRC.