Silencing of AEBP1 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis via the AKT signaling pathway in osteosarcoma

Adipocyte enhancer-binding protein 1 (AEBP1) has emerged as a novel regulator in the tumorigenic progression of various cancers. Despite its significance, the expression and functions of AEBP1 in osteosarcoma (OS) remain largely unexplored. The GEO database was used to screen for novel targets of osteosarcoma and AEBP1 was focused on since its expression and functions in OS remain to be thoroughly elucidated. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the potential biological functions of AEBP1 in OS. UALCAN and CCLE databases were then used to analyze the expression levels of AEBP1. By employing siRNA, AEBP1 was silenced in human OS cells and the expression of AEBP1 at the mRNA and protein levels was assessed through reverse transcription-quantitave PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. Subsequently, the effects of AEBP1 silencing on the proliferation and apoptosis of human OS cell lines were investigated using MTT, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, clone formation, flow cytometry and TUNEL assays. The results revealed that silencing of AEBP1 inhibited OS cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and induced G₁ cell cycle arrest in U2OS cells. Mechanistically, AEBP1 was found to be highly expressed in sarcoma and OS cell lines. Silencing of AEBP1 suppressed the expression of p-AKT and cyclin D1, regulating OS cell proliferation. Furthermore, it reduced the expression levels of Bcl-2, while promoting Bax expression, thereby enhancing OS cell apoptosis. Notably, the silencing of AEBP1 counteracted the activation of the AKT signaling pathway induced by an activator. In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicated that silencing of AEBP1 suppressed OS proliferation, revealing AEBP1 as a promising therapeutic target for OS treatment.