The Immunotherapeutic Target ANLN Promotes Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma by Regulating PI3K/Akt and P53 Signaling Pathways

The role of Anillin (ANLN) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the possible function and mechanism of ANLN in ccRCC. By using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we assessed ANLN expression in various cancers. Furthermore, the GEPIA database was used to analyze survival rates, pathway enrichment, and immune infiltration. Experiments were employed to study how ANLN expression affects tumor cell apoptosis, migration, invasion, and proliferation. Protein blotting was conducted to evaluate apoptosis, proliferation, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the expression of proteins linked to the PI3K/AKT and P53 signaling pathways. mRNA levels of ANLN were notably increased in diverse cancer tissues, as shown in the TCGA database, a finding that was also observed in ccRCC patients. Remarkably, high ANLN levels were associated with lower pathologic grades and a worse survival prognosis in ccRCC patients. In vitro experiments revealed that knockdown of ANLN in ccRCC cells led to reduced proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT. Additionally, ANLN seemed to impact immune evasion and increase the likelihood of distant metastasis based on immune infiltration analyses. The use of PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors or P53 signaling pathway agonists was effective in reducing the invasive behavior of ccRCC and correcting immunosuppression. Overall, ANLN could be a valuable prognostic indicator for the survival of ccRCC patients.