REPS2 attenuates cancer stemness through inhibiting Wnt signaling by autophagy mediated degradation of β-catenin

Abstract

Tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) that regulate the stemness of lung cancer cells remain to be determined. We conducted a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9-mediated screening and identified REPS2 as a potent TSG that negatively regulates the stemness of lung cancer cells. Its tumor suppressive function was confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, P62 interacts simultaneously with both β-catenin and REPS2, leading to autophagy-lysosome-mediated degradation of β-catenin and attenuation of Wnt signaling. A β-catenin inhibitor synergizes with inhibitors for driver mutants to induce immunogenic cell death, which could be exploited for enhancing efficacy of tumor immunotherapy.