RAP2A promotes apoptosis resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the mTOR pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common digestive system cancer. In the current study, we investigated the biological effects of Ras-related protein Rap-2a (RAP2A), a GTPase protein, in HCC tissues and cells. We found that RAP2A was upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. RAP2A knockdown could effectively inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells and weaken its apoptosis resistance. In terms of its action mechanism, RAP2A may be involved in activating the mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, we believe that RAP2A is abnormally highly expressed in HCC tissues and promotes tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis resistance by activating the mTOR signaling pathway, and it may serve as a potential target for HCC treatment.