OCIAD2 Promotes Cancer Progression via Metabolic Reprogramming in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Given the limited proteomic insights and high incidence of lung adenocarcinoma, further investigation of uncharacterized proteins in cancer progression remains crucial. In this study, a poorly characterized protein, OCIA domain-containing 2 (OCIAD2), encoded by chromosome 4 was identified as being upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma from our previous proteogenomics data using the Taiwan Cancer Moonshot cohort. OCIAD2 was highly expressed in tumor tissues in 95.5% of lung adenocarcinoma patients in our cohort, with elevated expression correlating with worse survival. Functional studies revealed that the silencing of the OCIAD2 decreased cell migration, invasion, and colony-forming abilities. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated the involvement of OCIAD2 in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Subsequently, mitochondrial metabolic assay demonstrated that OCIAD2 impairs OXPHOS function, accompanied by a metabolic shift toward glycolysis. These findings suggest that OCIAD2 promotes cancer progression through metabolic reprogramming, highlighting the role of OCIAD2 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for lung adenocarcinoma.