High expression of RBM8A predicts poor patient prognosis and promotes tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a huge threat for human health worldwide. As a complicated tumor, the molecular basis for HCC development especially metastasis requires exploration. Although RNA binding motif (RBM) proteins are closely related to various cancers, the clinical importance and underlying mechanisms of RBM8A in HCC remain elusive. In this study, we found that RBM8A was highly expressed in HCC tumor tissues compared to normal liver tissues. Overexpression of RBM8A was associated with HbsAg and Edmondson pathological grading. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high expression of RBM8A was related to the poor overall survival and progression-free survival of patients with HCC. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments further demonstrated that RBM8A promoted tumor cell migration and invasion in HCC via activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling pathway. It is also noteworthy that RBM8A is required for tumor cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis in HCC. Altogether, our results revealed a close relationship between RBM8A and HCC prognosis as well as a critical tumor-promoting function of RBM8A in HCC progression, suggesting that RBM8A might be a potential bio-marker and drug target in HCC therapy.