CDCA5 functions as a tumor promoter in bladder cancer by dysregulating mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, cell cycle regulation and PI3k/AKT/mTOR pathway activation.

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and has high rates of relapse and progression. Cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5), a substrate of the anaphase-promoting complex, was reported to be upregulated in several types of cancer; however, the function of CDCA5 in BC remains unclear. In this study, we observed that BC tissues had higher levels of CDCA5 expression than adjacent normal tissues. We also found that high CDCA5 expression in patients was associated with poor survival rates. An in vitro study showed that knockdown of CDCA5 in T24 and 5637 cells reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in T24 and 5637 cells, while overexpression of CDCA5 in UMUC3 cells caused the opposite effects. In an additional experiment, we found that CDCA5 promoted cell proliferation by upregulating two key cell cycle factors, cell division cycle protein 2 (CDC2) and cyclin B1, and by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, CDCA5 regulate cancer cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. In conclusion, CDCA5 plays a pivotal role in the proliferation of BC cells. A better understanding of CDCA5 may provide new insights into its role as a therapeutic target for BC.