THOC3 interacts with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition to promote non-small cell lung cancer carcinoma progression through STAT3 signaling pathway

Located on chromosome 5, the THOC3 gene encodes a protein of 351 amino acids, though its precise biological role in various malignancies, including lung cancer (LC), remains to be fully clarified. Elevated expression of THOC3 was observed in LC (IHC) analyses. Increased THOC3 levels were associated with advanced tumor stages and poorer prognosis in patients. Functional studies using both loss-of-function and gain-of-function approaches suggested that THOC3 may influence cellular proliferation, tumorigenic potential, and apoptosis in vitro. Mechanistically, its effects appear to involve activation of the STAT3 pathway. Additionally, Garcinone d-induced STAT3 activation mitigated certain malignant characteristics of LC cells, though silencing THOC3 reversed this effect. These results indicate that THOC3 may serve as a potential prognostic marker and could warrant further investigation as a therapeutic target in LC.