SIRT2 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer growth by targeting JMJD2A

Lung cancer has been the most prolific cancer in China - as in the rest of the world - with a high death rate and low 5-year survival rate. Previous evidence showed that JMJD2A is over-expressed in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, and that high level of JMJD2A predicts poor overall and disease-free survival. However, the mechanism by which JMJD2A is regulated in human NSCLC is not fully understood. In the present study, we identified that the SIRT2 as an anti-oncogenic protein in NSCLC was down-regulated. JMJD2A as a target of SIRT2 was negatively correlated with SIRT2 level in NSCLC. SIRT2 bound to the promoter region of JMJD2A and negatively regulated JMJD2A expression. In addition, we found that SIRT2 inhibited NSCLC cells proliferation, colony formation and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo in a JMJD2A-dependent manner. In summary, our findings implicate that SIRT2 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer growth through targeting JMJD2A and SIRT2 activator may serve as candidate drug for NSCLC therapy.