2. Academic Validation
  3. Molecular mechanism of secretory protein EFNA1 in HNSCC and its value in early screening

Molecular mechanism of secretory protein EFNA1 in HNSCC and its value in early screening

  • Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2025 Jun 21:777:152243. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.152243.
Yanan Fu 1,  Mengqiao He 2,  Jiayi Li 1,  Jia Ji 1,  Zhen Xiao 3,  Yukun Ma 4,  Xuelin Chen 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Stomatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University, China.
  • 2 Department of Stomatology, Qiqihar Eye&ENT Hospital, China.
  • 3 Department of Stomatology, The First Hospital of Qiqihar, China.
  • 4 Medical Science Research Institute, Qiqihar Medical University, China.
  • 5 Department of Stomatology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University, China. Electronic address: chenxuelin19892024@qmu.edu.cn.
PMID: 40578286 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.152243
Abstract

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) is an aggressive malignancy, necessitating early diagnostic biomarkers. This study explores EFNA1's role in HNSCC and its potential for early screening.

Methods: Data from TCGA, CCLE, and Depmap databases were analyzed. Serum samples from HNSCC patients and controls were tested using ELISA. Cell proliferation, Apoptosis assays, and KEGG pathway analysis were conducted. Western blotting assessed EphA2pS898, EphA2, and EFNA1's impact on the Akt/ERK1/2 pathway.

Results: EFNA1 expression was significantly higher in HNSCC tissues compared to healthy tissues (P < 0.05). ROC analysis showed an AUC of 0.924 for EFNA1 in predicting HNSCC, indicating its diagnostic potential. Serum EFNA1 levels were elevated pre-surgery and decreased post-surgery (P < 0.05), correlating with poor prognosis (P = 0.021). EFNA1 knockdown in BICR78 and SNU46 cells induced Apoptosis (P < 0.05). EFNA1 overexpression increased proliferation, which was reversed by EFNA1 antibody. EFNA1 downregulated Akt/ERK1/2 pathway activity, with its interference preventing full pathway activation.

Conclusion: EFNA1 is a promising biomarker for early HNSCC screening and a potential therapeutic target.

Keywords

EFNA1; Early screening; HNC; Head and neck cancer; Squamous cell carcinoma.

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