EGFL9 regulates the growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma through EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and amino acid modulation

EGFL9 expression was significantly upregulated in both HCC tissues and cell lines, with higher expression correlating with HCC progression. Elevated serum EGFL9 levels were observed in HCC patients, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic marker. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that EGFL9 knockdown inhibited HCC cell proliferation, invasion, survival, and metastasis. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that EGFL9's function may be linked to the activation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, which was further validated through inhibition experiments targeting EGFR and AKT.