LC-0882 targets PAK4 and inhibits PAK4-related signaling pathways to suppress the proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells

Gastric cancer is the most common malignant tumor and globally the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Therefore, there exists an urgent need to identify new effective gastric cancer treatments. Given the important roles in tumorigenesis and progression, p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) has been regarded as an attractive high-value druggable target. In this study, we examined the effects and molecular mechanisms of action of the small molecular compound LC-0882 on gastric cancer cells in vitro. LC-0882 was found to significantly inhibit the proliferation of human gastric cancer cells by repressing phospho-PAK4/cyclin D1 and CDK4/6 expression. In addition, LC-0882 was found to attenuate cell invasion by blocking the PAK4/LIMK1/cofilin signaling pathway. Finally, analysis of immunofluorescence revealed that LC-0882 exposure decreased filopodia formation and induced cell elongation in BGC823 and SGC7901 gastric cancer cells. These findings suggest that targeting PAK4 with the novel compound LC-0882 may provide a new chemotherapeutic approach in gastric cancer treatment.