Knockdown of LRRK2 inhibits the progression of lung cancer by regulating TLR4/NF-κB pathways and NLRP3 inflammasome

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) plays an important role in a variety of inflammatory diseases, as well as peripheral and central immune responses. At present, there are few reports about the role of LRRK2 in lung cancer, and need to be further explored. The main purpose of this study is to explore the role and mechanism of LRRK2 in lung cancer. The results revealed that the expression of LRRK2 was increased in the tissues of lung cancer patient and lung cancer cells. Further studies found that interference with LRRK2 expression significantly induced the apoptosis, and promoted the expression of caspase-3, caspase-9, and Bax. More importantly, si-LRRK2 inhibited the expression of VEGF and P-gp, indicating inhibition of cell proliferation and drug resistance. What’s more, LRRK2 regulated TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways and NLRP3 inflammasome, and TLR4/NF-κB pathways was involved in the molecular mechanism of LRRK2 on lung cancer cells. In conclusion, this study suggested that the mechanism of si-LRRK2 inhibiting the progression of lung cancer is to regulate the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways and NLRP3 inflammasome.