IGF2BP1 silencing inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of high glucose-induced non-small cell lung cancer cells by regulating Netrin-1.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accompanied by diabetes is an important risk factor affecting the prognosis of patients with NSCLC in clinical practice. However, the effect of high glucose (HG) in the pathogenesis of NSCLC remains elusive. It has been found that the RNA-binding protein Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) plays important roles in various diseases, including NSCLC and diabetes. The aim of this study was to explore the role of IGF2BP1 in HG-treated NSCLC cells, and further investigate its underlying molecular mechanism. Results showed that IGF2BP1 was highly expressed in HG-treated NSCLC cells. Knockdown of IGF2BP1 inhibited cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Besides, IGF2BP1 silencing decreased the Netrin-1 level in HG-treated NSCLC cells. Reintroduction of Netrin-1 expression rescued IGF2BP1 deficiency-induced cell proliferation reduction, migration suppression, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These findings suggest that IGF2BP1 silencing inhibits the occurrence of tumor events through down-regulating Netrin-1 expression, indicating that the IGF2BP1/Netrin-1 axis exerts an oncogenic role in HG-treated NSCLC cells.