Kinesin family member 15 promotes cancer stem cell phenotype and malignancy via reactive oxygen species imbalance in hepatocellular carcinoma

The development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). In the present study, kinesin family member 15 (KIF15) expression was shown to be overexpressed in HCC tissues, cell lines, and CSCs. Patients with HCC with high KIF15 expression had shortened overall survival (OS) and high recurrence probability. Downregulation of KIF15 in vitro as well as in HCC organoids resulted in a significant reduction in sphere formation and expression of stemness-related genes. KIF15 downregulation in human HCC xenograft models delayed tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis. KIF15 was also demonstrated to interact with phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) and inhibit proteasomal degradation of PHGDH, thus promoting CSC phenotype and malignancy via PHGDH-mediated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) imbalance in HCC. Moreover, AAA nuclear coregulator cancer-associated protein (ANCCA) upregulation acts as a key mediator in KIF15 expression upregulation in HCC. Conclusion: In this study, we found that KIF15 promotes the CSC phenotype and malignancy via PHGDH-mediated ROS imbalance in HCC. These findings highlight potential therapeutic targets for HCC.