Evidence for HOXC6 as a potential molecular marker for non-small cell lung cancer

HOXC6 is a transcription factor that regulates cell differentiation during embryonic development which is highly expressed in NSCLC, and it may enhance lung cancer progression by regulating the expression of pro-tumorigenic genes involved in proliferation, migration, and invasion. Our study highlighted the oncogenic potential of HOXC6, and suggests that it may be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC. Overall design: The expression and protein levels of HOXC6 were assessed in 30 pairs of NSCLC tissue samples by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. HOXC6 was transfected into the NSCLC cell lines A549 and PC9, and used to investigate its effect on proliferation, migration, and invasion using CFSE, wound healing, and Matrigel invasion assays. Next-generation sequencing with 3 independent replicates was also used to identify downstream targets of HOXC6 and to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying its biological function.