MUC15 is an independent prognostic factor that promotes metastases of MYCN non-amplified neuroblastoma

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) is a cancer that arises from neural-crest-derived sympathoadrenal lineage. Less is known about the pathogenesis and molecular characteristics of MYCN non-amplified (MYCN-NA) NB. Methods: We constructed a signature model targeting mucin family according to RNA sequencing data from GSE49710 dataset, and validated the prognostic performance. We also analyzed the gene expression matrix using DESeq2 R packages to screen the most differential mucin in high-risk NB samples. We further assessed its prognostic value, particularly in MYCN-NA NB samples. Moreover, we performed functional experiments to evaluate the impact of MUC15 overexpression on the migration of MYCN-NA NB cell lines. Results: The 8-mucin signature model showed good prognostic performance in the GSE49710 dataset. Among the mucin genes, MUC15 was significantly upregulated in the high-risk NB cohort and was associated with poor prognosis, especially in MYCN-NA NB samples. Furthermore, MUC15 overexpression and exogenous MUC15 protein enhanced the migration of MYCN-NA NB cell lines. Mechanistically, MUC15 promoted the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) by inhibiting the expression of MYCT1, a target of c-Myc. Conclusions: Our findings suggested a potential network in controlling NB cell metastasis. Targeting MUC15 in MYCN-NA NB patients could be a promising therapeutic strategy.