STK11 mutation affects tumor proliferation by impacting CD4⁺ T cell activity in lung adenocarcinoma

Introduction: STK11 mutation is common in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but the molecular mechanism of STK11 regulation in LUAD remains uncharacterized. This study intended to explore the effect of STK11 mutation on activity and proliferation of CD4⁺ T cells in LUAD.

Material and methods: qRT-PCR experiments verified the STK11 level in different cell models. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation experiments evaluated proliferation ability. CCK-8 detected activity of CD4⁺ T cells. Immunohistochemistry detected levels of related genes. Immunofluorescence assayed levels of CD4⁺ T cell infiltration.

Results: STK11 mutation could accelerate proliferation of LUAD cells and impact activity of CD4⁺ T cells. Further research found that STK11 mutation affected tumor proliferation by impacting CD4⁺ T cell activity in LUAD.

Conclusions: This study revealed the regulatory mechanism of STK11 mutation affecting tumor proliferation by impacting CD4⁺ T cell activity in LUAD. It suggested that STK11 may be a possible biological target for LUAD patients, and inhibiting STK11 mutation or cutting off its regulatory pathway for immune function may be an effective strategy for STK11-mutated tumor patients.