SSBP1 is a prognostic biomarker and promotes the progression of lung adenocarcinoma via p53 signaling pathway

SSBP1, a mitochondrial single-strand binding protein, was found to be significantly overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues, indicating its potential as a diagnostic biomarker. However, its function in LUAD remained largely unclear. In this study, comprehensive analysis using multiple datasets, including TCGA, GTEx, GSE19188, and GSE63459, consistently demonstrated that SSBP1 expression is elevated in LUAD, distinguishing tumor tissues from normal lung tissues. Moreover, high SSBP1 expression was strongly associated with worse overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free interval (PFI), further supporting its role as a prognostic marker. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that SSBP1 remains an independent predictor of poor prognosis in LUAD patients. Pan-cancer analysis revealed dysregulated SSBP1 expression across various malignancies, suggesting its involvement in tumorigenesis and its potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic target. Functional studies showed that knockdown of SSBP1 in LUAD cell lines (A549 and H1299) led to significantly reduced proliferation and migration, coupled with downregulation of key cell cycle regulators such as CDK4 and CDK6. Additionally, SSBP1 silencing inhibited LUAD cell metastasis through the p53 signaling pathway, affecting the expression of EMT markers like N-cadherin and E-cadherin. These findings highlight the critical role of SSBP1 in LUAD progression and metastasis, making it a promising therapeutic target for improving LUAD patient outcomes.