Prognostic value of Mortalin correlates with roles in epithelial–mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma

Mortalin is involved in the malignant phenotype of many cancers. However, the specific molecular mechanisms involving Mortalin in lung adenocarcinoma remain unclear. In this study, we showed that both Mortalin mRNA and protein are overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, Mortalin overexpression was positively correlated with poor overall survival. In vitro experiments showed that Mortalin silencing inhibited the proliferation, colony formation and migration abilities of A549 and H1299 cells. Mortalin promotes EMT progression, angiogenesis and tumor progression by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In vivo experiments further confirmed that Mortalin promoted malignant progression of lung adenocarcinoma. Taken together, our data suggest that Mortalin represents an attractive prognostic marker and therapeutic target in lung adenocarcinoma patients.