SKA2 promotes proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via activating the β-catenin signaling pathway.

Spindle and kinetochore associated complex subunit 2 (SKA2) is a part of the spindle and kinetochore associated (SKA) complex, which has been reported in various cancers, including the breast cancer, lung cancer, and glioma. However, its role remains unclear in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study found that SKA2 mRNA levels and immunohistochemistry staining were significantly increased in HCC tissues compared with normal tissues. The role of SKA2 in cell proliferation and invasion was also determined. Overexpression of SKA2 significantly promoted cell proliferation and invasion, while knocking down of SKA2 expression inhibited the growth and invasion of HCC cells. In experiments investigating the underlying mechanism, overexpression of SKA2 may increase the expression levels of total β-catenin, and knockdown of SKA2 may decrease the expression levels of total β-catenin. Our studies thus suggest that SKA2 may promote proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by activating the β-catenin signaling pathway, which can serve as a potential target in the diagnosis and/or treatment of HCC.