LMO4 is a prognostic marker involved in cell migration and invasion in non-small-cell lung cancer

LIM-only protein 4 (LMO4) is a novel member of the LIM-only (LMO) subfamily of LIM domain-containing transcription factors. The LMO protein mainly localizes to the nucleus (1), where it mediates interactions within multi-protein complexes and DNA. This controls the expression of genes involved in regulating many important biological functions, such as cell proliferation and mammalian development. Therefore, the dysregulation of LMO4 has been implicated in the carcinogenesis and metastasis of a variety of human cancers. Studies have indicated that LMO4 overexpression may disrupt the normal tumor suppressor activities of Tip, promoting breast cancer progression (2), and affecting lung cancer patient survival (3). A number of studies have found LMO4 highly expressed at sites of active epithelial-mesenchymal interactions, and LMO4 can interact with signaling pathways involved in epithelial-mesenchymal signaling (4), leading to an increase in stromal cell invasion and migration. Studies of LMO4 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, are rare. We hypothesized that lung cancer is a tumor derived from epithelial tissue, and thatLMO4 has a similar functional role in lung cancer