Elevated CEP72 expression facilitates the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and is associated with unfavorable outcomes

Nengren Tan; Qiuxia Wei

doi:10.1007/s12672-025-02540-0

Elevated CEP72 expression facilitates the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and is associated with unfavorable outcomes

Discov Oncol. 2025 May 27;16(1):937. doi: 10.1007/s12672-025-02540-0.

Authors

Nengren Tan¹, Qiuxia Wei²

Affiliations

¹ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Brain-Inspired Computing and Intelligent Chips, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, Guangxi, China.
² Institute of Oncology, The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, China. weiqx5@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Introduction: The specific roles and mechanisms underlying the involvement of centrosomal protein 72 (CEP72) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development are not fully understood. Thus, this study aimed to explore the influence of CEP72 on the prognosis of HCC and elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved.

Material and methods: CEP72 expression was verified through the use of various databases, including the TCGA, GEO, CCLE, and HPA databases. Moreover, to validate the prognostic importance of CEP72 in HCC, we conducted the Kaplan‒Meier survival analyses using the GEPIA database. The connection between CEP72 and hsa-miR-139-5p was established using RT‒qPCR and Western blotting. To further evaluate the role of CEP72 and hsa-miR-139-5p in tumor regulation, we conducted the CCK8 assay, transwell migration assay, and invasion assay.

Results: The abnormal upregulation of CEP72 in HCC tissues was identified through the use of the TCGA, GEO, CCLE, and HPA databases. Furthermore, we observed a notable correlation between elevated CEP72 expression and an unfavorable prognosis in individuals diagnosed with HCC. Furthermore, in vitro experiments further demonstrated that CEP72 expression enhanced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Finally, we explored the influence of miRNAs on CEP72 expression by analyzing CEP72 expression patterns, establishing correlations, and conducting survival analysis. Interestingly, our findings confirmed that hsa-miR-139-5p was the upstream pathway regulator of CEP72 expression.

Conclusion: Based on our findings, CEP72 is a prognostic biomarker for HCC, and the miRNA-mediated expression of CEP72 may affect the prognosis of HCC patients.

Keywords: CEP72; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Hsa-miR-139-5p; Prognosis.