LIMD2 Promotes Tumor Proliferation, Invasion, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

LIMD2 was found upregulated in various tumors and metastatic samples and associated with a poor prognosis. But the role of LIMD2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains elusive. The expression of LIMD2 in ccRCC was analyzed using cohort data downloaded from TCGA and ICGC databases. In vitro and in vivo experiments were then conducted to study the biological role of LIMD2 in ccRCC and explore the possible mechanism. The results indicated that LIMD2 was overexpressed and correlated with a poor outcome in ccRCC. LIMD2 promoted the malignancy of ccRCC both in vitro and in vivo. LIMD2 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via activating the ILK/Akt pathway in ccRCC. In conclusion, LIMD2 is overexpressed and promotes proliferation, invasion, and EMT in ccRCC, which may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for ccRCC.