Knockdown of G-protein-signaling modulator 2 promotes metastasis of non-small-cell lung cancer by inducing the expression of Snail.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading global cause of cancer-related death. Due to the lack of reliable diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, the prognosis of NSCLC remains poor. Consequently, there is an urgent need to explore the mechanisms underlying this condition in order to identify effective biomarkers. G-protein-signaling modulator 2 (GPSM2) is widely recognized as a determinant of mitotic spindle orientation. However, its role in cancer, especially NSCLC, remains uncertain. In this study, we found that GPSM2 was downregulated in NSCLC tissues and was correlated with a poor prognosis. Furthermore, the knockdown of GPSM2 promoted NSCLC cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo and accelerated the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistically, we showed that silencing GPSM2 induced cell metastasis and EMT through the ERK/glycogen synthase kinase-3β/Snail pathway. These results confirm that GPSM2 plays an important role in NSCLC. Moreover, GPSM2, as an independent prognostic factor, could be a potential prognostic biomarker and drug target for NSCLC.