Inhibiting LCN2 can suppress the development of NSCLC by promoting ferroptosis

Tumor progression is intricately linked to ferroptosis, a recently discovered form of regulated cell death. However, the specific causes of ferroptosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain unclear. In this study, we conducted transcriptome sequencing on NSCLC samples and identified Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) as a significantly differentially expressed gene associated with ferroptosis in NSCLC. Through the intersection of the set of significantly different genes with ferroptosis-related genes, we unveiled the relevance of LCN2 in NSCLC. To validate our findings, several cell lines (BEAS-2B, A549, H1299, PC-9, H1975) were utilized, and Western blot (WB) analysis was performed. We employed a variety of assays, including CCK8, EDU, scratch, Transwell, and specific assays targeting ferroptosis, to investigate the effects of LCN2 on NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and ferroptosis. Additionally, LCN2 was evaluated in vivo using a mouse tumor xenograft model. In both NSCLC patients and cells, LCN2 exhibited upregulation and was associated with a poor prognosis. Inhibition of LCN2 promoted ferroptosis, resulting in the inhibition of NSCLC proliferation and migration. Conversely, the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 promoted NSCLC cell proliferation and migration while inhibiting ferroptosis. Furthermore, down-regulating LCN2 reduced Fer-1′s promotion of NSCLC cell migration and proliferation, as well as its prevention of ferroptosis. In vivo inhibition of LCN2 prevented NSCLC cell growth and enhanced ferroptosis. Based on our research, reducing LCN2 could effectively induce ferroptosis and hinder the growth of NSCLC.