KRT17 Accelerates Cell Proliferative and Invasive Potential of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC) through Regulating AKT/mTOR and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathways

Background. Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a prevalent malignant tumor of the head and neck with a dismal prognosis. Keratin17 (KRT17) has been proven to serve as an oncogene in various cancers, but it has never been explored in LSCC. We proposed to assess the impact and possible mechanisms of KRT17 in the development of LSCC. Methods. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) was utilized to examine the mRNA levels. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate the relationship between KRT17 expression and survival curves in LSCC patients. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, and flow cytometry assays were utilized to estimate LSCC cell proliferation. The migration and invasion abilities of LSCC cells were ascertained by wound-healing and transwell assays. Immunohistochemical and western blot assays were utilized to appraise protein levels. The xenograft tumor model was used to determine the effect of KRT17 on tumor growth. Results. In the present study, KRT17 was extremely high in LSCC tissues and cells and correlated with a poor prognosis. Inhibition of KRT17 weakens cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities in LSCC and contributes to cell cycle arrest. Besides, we approved that knockdown of KRT17 extraordinarily restrained the xenograft tumor growth in vivo. We preliminarily investigated the role of KRT17 on the AKT/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin signaling axes and found that these signaling pathways were largely blocked by KRT17 deletion. Conclusion. Collectively, we uncovered that exhaustion of KRT17 suppresses LSCC progression through coordinating AKT/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin signaling axes, illustrating KRT17 as a promising biomarker for making strides in LSCC treatment.