Peroxisomal membrane protein PMP70 confers drug resistance in colorectal cancer

Metabolic reprogramming is a key contributor to cancer therapeutic resistance. Peroxisomes are highly metabolic organelles essential for lipid metabolism and reactive oxygen species (ROS) turnover. Recent studies pointed out that targeting peroxisomal genes could be a promising strategy for treating therapy-resistant cells. However, the role of peroxisomes in CRC chemoresistance remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the function of peroxisomes in CRC chemoresistance and uncover the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that the protein level of peroxisome marker PMP70 was strongly correlated with oxaliplatin (LOHP)-treated tumor recurrence in CRC. LOHP was confirmed to induce pexophagy in CRC cells, whereas LOHP-resistant cells maintained stable peroxisome levels and resisted this selective autophagy. Moreover, depletion of PMP70 significantly reduced the viability of resistant CRC cells in response to LOHP, both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PMP70 acted as a potential protector against excessive lipid peroxidation (LPO) in PMP70^High and LOHP-resistant CRC cells. Additionally, PMP70-depleted cells exhibited an altered metabolic profile, characterized by reduced neutral lipids, fewer lipid droplets (LDs), and cell cycle arrest, indicating that PMP70 downregulation resulted in metabolic impairment. In conclusion, our study unveiled the pivotal role of PMP70-mediated peroxisomal functions in conferring chemoresistance, particularly in the context of LOHP resistance in CRC.