PLEK2 promotes migration and invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by MMP1 through IL-17 pathway

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by poor prognosis primarily due to metastasis. Accumulating evidence suggests that PLEK2 acts as an oncogene in various tumors. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PLEK2 on PDAC. Expression analysis of PLEK2 was conducted using qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry in PDAC. Wound healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate the impact of PLEK2 on cell migration and invasion. A xenograft tumor model was employed to assess the in vivo proliferation of PLEK2. Additionally, the downstream pathway of PLEK2 was analyzed through RNA-seq and confirmed by Western blot analysis. The results demonstrated the upregulation of PLEK2 expression in tumor specimens. High PLEK2 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival and advanced TNM stages. Correlation analyses revealed positive correlations between PLEK2 and TGF-beta, EGFR, and MMP1. Wound healing and transwell assays demonstrated that PLEK2 promoted PDAC cell migration and invasion, potentially through the activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition process. The in vivo experiment further confirmed that PLEK2 knockdown suppressed tumor growth. RNA-seq analysis revealed PLEK2's regulation of MMP1 and activation of p-ERK and p-STAT3, which were verified by Western blot analysis. Overall, the present study suggests that PLEK2 may play a tumor-promoting role in PDAC. These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic cancer and highlight the potential of PLEK2 as a therapeutic target.