FAM72A promotes glioma progression by regulating mitophagy through the Pink1/Parkin signaling pathway

Background: There is growing evidence that aberrant expression of FAM72A contributes to biological dysfunction, especially mitochondrial dysfunction. However, its role in most tumors remains unclear, especially in glioma. Methods: Herein, a high-throughput sequencing approach was used here to identify FAM72A as the target molecule. Next, we detected the protein and mRNA expression levels of FAM72A in normal brain tissue (NBT) as well as different grades of glioma tissue. CCK-8, colony formation, Transwell assays, and Western blotting, were all used to determine the molecular effects of FAM72A on glioma cells. Results: FAM72A was significantly upregulated in glioma, was significantly correlated with WHO grade and was associated with poor clinical outcomes. In functional assays, FAM72A was shown to promote glioma cell growth. Subsequent mechanistic studies indicated that FAM72A promoted glioma progression by regulating mitophagy through the Pink1/Parkin signaling pathway. In addition, FAM72A promoted mitophagy and maintained Pink1 stability through the Pink1/Parkin signaling pathway. Finally, FAM72A promoted tumor immune escape by upregulating PD-L1 expression. Conclusion: All of these data indicate that FAM72A confers an aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis on gliomas. Targeting FAM72A might represent a new therapeutic strategy for glioma.