Expression of Osteoprotegrin Is Enhanced in Lung Cancer Tissues and Promotes Aggressive Cellular Traits in H3122 Lung Cancer Cells

Background: Osteoprotegrin (OPG), a secreted protein and a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily has been well-characterized and is an important regulator of bone remodeling by blocking osteoclast maturation thus preventing osteolysis. In recent years, OPG has been reported to have an association with the malignant capacity of various cancer types and cancer-associated bone metastasis, although the mechanisms of this are not clearly understood. Materials and Methods: In this study, OPG expression was analyzed in human lung cancer tissue and normal tissue based on the dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas and Oncomine. The in vitro effect of OPG on H3122 lung cancer cells was also assessed by characterizing cell function following knock-down and forced overexpression in this cell line. Results: The expression of OPG was significantly increased in lung cancer tissues compared to the normal control group and OPG promoted the malignant phenotypes of H3122 cells in in vitro models. Conclusion: OPG may be a potential driver of lung cancer cells and therefore might have potential in therapy and diagnostics.