KSR2 Promotes Self-Renewal and Clonogenicity of Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) tumors are heterogeneous, with a subpopulation of cells primed for tumor initiation. In this study, we show that kinase suppressor of Ras 2 (KSR2) promotes the self-renewal and clonogenicity of SCLC cells. KSR2 is a molecular scaffold that promotes Raf/MEK/ERK signaling. KSR2 is preferentially expressed in the ASCL1 subtype of SCLC (SCLC-A) tumors and is expressed in pulmonary neuroendocrine cells, one of the identified cells of origin for SCLC-A tumors. The expression of KSR2 in SCLC and pulmonary neuroendocrine cells was previously unrecognized and serves as a novel model for understanding the role of KSR2-dependent signaling in normal and malignant tissues. Disruption of KSR2 in SCLC-A cell lines inhibits the colony-forming ability of tumor-propagating c

SUBMITTER: Huisman DH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12221803 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature