TPX2-mediated autophagy maintains cancer stemness in LUAD

Targeting protein for Xklp2 (TPX2) is a mitotic regulator frequently overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), while its role in cancer stemness and autophagy remains incompletely understood. In this study, integrative bioinformatic analyses based on TCGA and GTEx datasets revealed that TPX2 overexpression in LUAD was associated with poor prognosis, elevated stemness scores, and increased expression of cancer stem cell-related markers. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying TPX2-mediated regulation in LUAD, RNA sequencing was performed in PC9 cells following TPX2 knockdown. Transcriptomic profiling and pathway analyses identified significant alterations in autophagy-related signaling pathways. In parallel, co-immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry (IP-MS) was conducted to characterize TPX2-associated protein interactions and explore potential regulatory networks involved in autophagy. Functional experiments further demonstrated that TPX2 depletion impaired autophagic flux and reduced stemness-associated phenotypes in LUAD cells, whereas TPX2 overexpression exerted opposite effects. These data provide transcriptomic and proteomic resources for investigating the role of TPX2-mediated autophagy in LUAD progression and cancer stemness.