Mechanistic study of MUC3A in promoting progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma via the JAK‑STAT pathway

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of renal cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. The present study identified a membrane‑associated mucin, mucin 3A (MUC3A), a transmembrane glycoprotein, as a novel oncogenic factor in ccRCC. MUC3A was found to be highly expressed in ccRCC tissues and cell lines, with elevated levels associated with worse patient survival. Functional assays demonstrated that MUC3A knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and promoted apoptosis. Mechanistically, MUC3A activated the Janus kinase‑signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK‑STAT) signaling pathway, and activation of STAT3 reversed the effects of MUC3A knockdown. These findings suggest that MUC3A facilitates ccRCC progression via JAK/STAT signaling and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.