Exploring the clinical significance of TPX2 in pancreatic cancer: from biomarker to immunotherapy

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly aggressive malignancy characterized by a dismal prognosis. The present study is designed to elucidate the pivotal role of Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2) as a biomarker with substantial clinical prognostic significance in PC. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of RNA sequencing data and protein expression profiles obtained from multiple databases, we observed a pronounced upregulation of TPX2 expression in PC tissues compared to normal pancreatic tissues. Importantly, TPX2 emerged as an independent prognostic factor, demonstrating remarkable diagnostic accuracy. Notably, its expression levels were found to be significantly associated with the PC immune microenvironment and sensitivity to various therapeutic modalities. Functional assays revealed that the silencing of TPX2 markedly inhibited PC cell proliferation, metastasis, and the growth of subcutaneous tumors in PC mouse models. These effects were potentially mediated by the activation of CD8⁺ T cell immune responses and the inhibition of cell cycle progression and adhesion mechanisms. Taken together, our findings indicate that TPX2 may serve as a critical biomarker for the diagnosis and clinical management of patients with PC.