SPATA20 deficiency enhances the metastatic and angiogenic potential of cancer cells by promoting HIF-1α synthesis.

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) regulate cellular oxygen balance and play a central role in cancer metastasis and angiogenesis. Despite extensive research on HIFs, successful therapeutic strategies remain limited due to the intricate nature of their regulation. In this study, we identified SPATA20, a relatively understudied protein with a thioredoxin-like domain, as an upstream regulator of HIF-1α. Depleting SPATA20 induced HIF-1α expression, suggesting a tumor-suppressive role for SPATA20 in cancer cells. SPATA20 depletion increased HIF-1α protein levels and transcriptional activity without affecting its degradation. It appears that SPATA20 inhibits the synthesis of HIF-1α, possibly by repressing the cap-dependent translation process involving AKT phosphorylation. Additionally, depletion of SPATA20 promoted cancer cell migration and invasion, which can be reversed by pharmacological inhibition of HIF-1α. Clinical data analysis revealed an inverse correlation between SPATA20 expression and colorectal cancer progression, providing evidence of its role as a potential biomarker. Utilizing SPATA20 as an indicator for HIF-1α-targeting therapy may be an attractive strategy for treating patients with hypoxia-driven cancers. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that SPATA20 deficiency promotes cancer progression by activating the HIF-1α signaling pathway.