Characterizing the Role of Larp1 in Cancer

Abstract

Protein synthesis is frequently dysregulated in cancer cells; such conditions are known to favor aberrant cell growth and proliferation which lead to cancer. LARP1 is a novel target of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway, a circuitry often hyperactivated in cancer which regulates cell growth and proliferation primarily through the regulation of protein synthesis. I aimed to determine if LARP1 plays a role in cancer progression by comparing its expression in normal versus cancer tissues. My results demonstrate that LARP1 expression is altered (lost or overexpressed) in various cancers and correlates with cancer patients survival. My systematic bioinformatics assessment, the results of my functional assays assessing the effect of LARP1 knockdown on cancer cells, together with my antibody validation do not only provide new insights for its role in cancer progression and mRNA translation, but also emphasizes the potential of LARP1 as a cancer therapeutic target.