Ribosomal Protein RPL29 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression Through Regulation the Expression of Exosome Component 4.

There are notable challenges in the development of effective therapeutic interventions for primary liver cancer (PLC). The role of ribosomal protein (RP) RPL29 in cancer has been rarely reported and the underlying mechanisms of RPL29 in the progression of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. In the present study, the expression level and prognostic value of RPL29 in patients with HCC was evaluated by bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, gene expression was suppressed using targeted siRNAs and enhanced through plasmids containing specific gene cDNA sequences. Subsequently, assessments of cell viability and invasive capacity were conducted. Additionally, Western blot analyses and subcutaneous xenograft models in nude mice were utilized to elucidate the potential function of RPL29 in regulating the malignant phenotype of HCC. The expression of RPL29 was found to be significantly elevated in HCC tissues. Further investigation demonstrated that RPL29 actively promotes the proliferation and metastatic potential of HCC cells. Moreover, RPL29 was shown to enhance the expression of Exosome Component 4 (EXOSC4), thereby contributing to the progression and metastasis of HCC. Both RPL29 and EXOSC4 were markedly overexpressed in HCC tissues and were associated with poorer overall survival and disease-free survival outcomes. Notably, the overexpression of RPL29 was able to restore cell viability and invasive capabilities in HCC cells in EXOSC4 silenced cells. In addition, we conducted a screening of two small molecule drugs that specifically target EXOSC4. The present study demonstrated that RPL29 facilitates HCC progression by regulating the expression of EXOSC4, which provides a novel therapeutic option for patients with HCC.