Lung adenocarcinoma is a crucial contributor to cancer-related mortality; however, effective treatments remain challenging. The present study aimed to investigate the role of hemoglobin subunit theta 1 (HBQ1), an α subunit of hemoglobin whose expression has recently been reported in non-erythroid cells, in lung adenocarcinoma. Comparative analysis showed that HBQ1 expression was significantly higher in lung adenocarcinoma tissues compared to normal lung tissues. Moreover, high HBQ1 expression was correlated with unfavorable overall survival and progression-free survival in patients, highlighting its potential as a prognostic marker. Our functional experiments revealed that when overexpressed, HBQ1 acts as an oncogene, enhancing cell proliferation, whereas HBQ1 knockdown inhibits it. Additionally, HBQ1 exhibited antioxidant properties by reducing basal reactive oxygen species levels, playing a crucial role in lung adenocarcinoma progression. These findings emphasize the critical role of HBQ1 in driving tumor growth and progression in lung adenocarcinoma. Our in vivo studies further supported the role of HBQ1 in lung adenocarcinoma. HBQ1 knockdown resulted in the inhibition of lung adenocarcinoma growth, demonstrating the potential of HBQ1 as a therapeutic target. Our findings highlight the importance of HBQ1 in lung adenocarcinoma and suggest its potential as both a diagnostic marker and a molecular target for therapeutic interventions.
肺腺癌是导致癌症相关死亡的重要因素，然而有效治疗仍具挑战性。本研究旨在探讨血红蛋白θ1亚基（HBQ1）在肺腺癌中的作用，该蛋白作为血红蛋白的α亚基，近期被报道在非红细胞中表达。对比分析显示，与正常肺组织相比，肺腺癌组织中HBQ1表达显著升高。此外，高HBQ1表达与患者较差的总生存期和无进展生存期相关，凸显其作为预后标志物的潜力。功能实验表明，HBQ1过表达时具有癌基因功能，可促进细胞增殖，而敲低HBQ1则抑制细胞增殖。同时，HBQ1通过降低基础活性氧水平表现出抗氧化特性，在肺腺癌进展中发挥关键作用。这些发现强调了HBQ1在驱动肺腺癌肿瘤生长和进展中的重要作用。体内研究进一步证实了HBQ1在肺腺癌中的作用，敲低HBQ1可抑制肺腺癌生长，表明其作为治疗靶点的潜力。本研究结果揭示了HBQ1在肺腺癌中的重要性，提示其可能成为诊断标志物和治疗干预的分子靶点。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家