CDCA5 is a potent therapeutic target of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Abstract Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer in adult, and patients with advanced ccRCC are facing limited treatment options. Cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5), a key regulator for segregating sister chromatids in cell cycle, has been increasingly reported for a potential therapeutic target in multiple human cancers. However, the functional roles of CDCA5 in ccRCC remain uncertain. Here we identified that CDCA5 expression was frequently upregulated in ccRCC tumors and significantly associated with poor prognosis of ccRCC patients. To investigate the role of CDCA5 in ccRCC progression, loss function cell models were established. Knockdown of CDCA5 remarkably suppressed ccRCC cell proliferation and migration ability, and also induced cell apoptosis in vitro. In addition, the significance of CDCA5 in ccRCC was further demonstrated in a mouse xenograft model. Silencing of CDCA5 drastically inhibited in vivo tumorigenicity of ccRCC cells. Mechanically, we identified CDCA5 may cooperate with EEF1A1 to promote the tumorigenic phenotype of ccRCC. Overall, our results revealed the significant functional role of CDCA5 in ccRCC progression, which may pave a way for the development of new treatment strategies for ccRCC treatment.