PTP1B promotes cell proliferation and metastasis through activating src and ERK1/2 in non-small cell lung cancer

Highlight
• This study showed PTP1B was over-expression in NSCLC tissue and was associated with the overall survival of NSCLC patients.
• In vitro studies demonstrated PTP1B promoted proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells by activating src and ERK1/2.
• This study firstly explore the role of PTP1B in NSCLC and provided a basis for the applications of PTP1B inhibitors in NSCLC.

Previous studies have demonstrated that protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) can promote tumor progression in breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer. Additionally, PTP1B acts as a tumor suppressor in other cancers, such as esophageal cancer and lymphoma. These findings suggest that PTP1B functions as a double-facet molecule in tumors, and the role of PTP1B in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unknown. The present study demonstrates that the expression of PTP1B in NSCLC tissue is significantly higher than its expression in benign lung disease and is associated with the stage and overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients. In vitro studies have demonstrated that PTP1B promotes the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells by reducing the expression of p-src (Tyr527), which activates src and ERK1/2. This study provides the first exploration of the role of PTP1B in the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC and subsequently elucidates the role of PTP1B in cancer. Our study uncovered that PTP1B can promote NSCLC proliferation and metastasis by activating src and subsequently ERK1/2 and provides a theoretical basis for future applications of PTP1B inhibitors in the treatment of NSCLC.