The transcription factor TEAD4 enhances lung adenocarcinoma progression through enhancing PKM2 mediated glycolysis

The active ingredient β-sitosterol in Ganoderma regulates CHRM2-mediated aerobic glycolysis to induce apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cells

β-sitosterol is a natural plant steroidal compound with anti-cancer properties against various tumors. This work explored the inhibitory effect of β-sitosterol on the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and further analyzed its targets. We applied network pharmacology to obtain the components and targets of Ganoderma spore powder. The biological functions of β-sitosterol and CHRM2 were studied using the homograft mouse model and a series of in vitro experiments involving quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blot, CCK-8, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The regulatory influence of β-sitosterol on the glycolysis pathway was validated by measuring glucose consumption and lactate production, as well as the extracellular acidification rate and oxygen consumption rate. We found that CHRM2 binds directly to β-sitosterol. In vitro, CHRM2 overexpression repressed the apoptosis rate and expression of apoptosis-related proteins in LUAD cells, and promoted glycolysis, while the addition of lonidamine attenuated the apoptosis-inhibiting effect conferred by CHRM2 overexpression. Furthermore, β-sitosterol hindered glycolysis as well as the growth of tumors in vitro and in vivo. CHRM2 overexpression reversed the effect of β-sitosterol on the biological behavior of LUAD cells. Our results emphasize that CHRM2 is a direct target of β-sitosterol in LUAD cells. β-sitosterol can repress the glycolysis pathway, exerting an anti-tumor effect. These findings provide new support for the use of β-sitosterol as a therapeutic agent for LUAD.

The TEAD4-DYNLL1 axis accelerates cell cycle progression and augments malignant properties of lung adenocarcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a major contributor to global mortality. Grounded onto bioinformatics insights, this study probes the functions of dynein light chain LC8-type 1 (DYNLL1) in LUAD progression.

METHODS

DYNLL1 levels in LUAD and normal cells were determined using qPCR and western blotting analyses. Lentiviral plasmids-mediated DYNLL1 silencing was induced in LUAD cells, followed by functional assays to investigate DYNLL1's impacts on proliferation, mobility, apoptosis, and cell cycle distribution. KY19382, a Wnt/β-catenin agonist, was employed to analyze the involvement of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in DYNLL1's effects. Upstream regulator of DYNLL1 was queried using bioinformatics. Mouse LUAD cells LA795 were implanted into BALB/c nude mice to establish animal tumor models.

RESULTS

DYNLL1 exhibited heightened expression in LUAD cells. Its artificial silencing reduced proliferation and dissemination of cancer cells, promoted cell apoptosis, and induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. DYNLL1 silencing reduced β-catenin levels in cancer cells, and KY19382 treatment diminished the effects induced by DYNLL1 silencing. TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4), upregulated in LUAD cells, binds to the DUNLL1 promoter for transcriptional activation. TEAD4 silencing in LUAD cells reduced DYNLL1 transcription and β-catenin levels, thus suppressing proliferation while promoting apoptosis, senescence, and cell cycle arrest. In vivo, TEAD4 silencing weakened tumorigenesis of LA795 cells. Nevertheless, these phenomena were counteracted by the artificial DYNLL1 restoration in LUAD cells.

CONCLUSION

This investigation demonstrates a TEAD4-DYNLL1 axis that accelerates cell cycle progression and augments malignant properties of LUAD cells via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Transcription Factor FOXA1 Facilitates Glycolysis and Proliferation of Lung Adenocarcinoma via Activation of TEX19

Glycolysis is a shared feature in various cancers including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Testis Expressed 19 (TEX19) is correlated with cancer progression. But its effect on LUAD remains an unanswered question. The focus of our study was primarily to investigate how TEX19 works exactly in LUAD. We first downloaded mRNA data from TCGA-LUAD and performed differential expression analysis. Then, we performed a Kaplan-Meier analysis to analyze the relationship between mRNA expression and patients' prognoses. hTFtarget database was utilized for the prediction of upstream transcription factors of mRNA. Next, qRT-PCR was employed for detecting TEX19 and Forkhead box A1 (FOXA1) expression. Western blot was adopted to detect the expression of glycolysis-related proteins. We also used CCK-8, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays to detect cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. Seahorse XF Extracellular Flux Analyzers were introduced to analyze extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR). Detection kits were used to detect pyruvate, lactate, citric acid, and malic acid. TEX19 was highly expressed in LUAD tissues. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) assay showed that TEX19 was significantly overexpressed in LUAD cell lines compared with normal bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B. Knockdown of TEX19 remarkably inhibited cell activity and proliferation, and promoted cell apoptosis, TEX19 was enriched in the glycolytic pathway. Meanwhile, the knockdown of TEX19 significantly hampered the contents of pyruvate, lactate, citric acid, and malic acid. The bioinformatics analysis, dual luciferase reporter experiment, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed that FOXA1 was bound with TEX19. FOXA1 had a high expression level in LUAD. The rescue assay demonstrated that FOXA1, by activating TEX19 expression, enhanced glycolysis and proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of LUAD cells. In summary, FOXA1 promoted glycolysis and proliferation of LUAD cells by activating TEX19. This result can provide a theoretical basis for future research on LUAD.

TEAD4 Activates PCSK9 to Promote Stomach Adenocarcinoma Cell Stemness through Fatty Acid Metabolism

INTRODUCTION

This study attempted to investigate how proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) influences the stemness of stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) cells.

METHODS

CCK-8 and sphere-formation assays were used to detect cell viability and stemness. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect PCSK9 and TEAD4 expression. The binding relationship was verified by dual-luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The effect of TEAD4 activating PCSK9 on the stemness of STAD cells was detected by bioinformatics, BODIPY 493/503, Oil red O, Western blot, and kits. In vivo experiments verified the role of the TEAD4/PCSK9 axis in tumor formation in nude mice.

RESULTS

PCSK9 and TEAD4 were highly expressed in STAD. PCSK9 was enriched in the fatty acid metabolism (FAM) pathway. PCSK9 activated the fatty acid metabolism and promoted the proliferation and stemness of STAD cells. TEAD4 as a transcription factor upstream of PCSK9, cell experiments revealed that knockdown of PCSK9 inhibited STAD cell stemness, whereas further addition of fatty acid inhibitors could attenuate the promoting effect on STAD cell stemness brought by STAD overexpression. Rescue experiments showed overexpressed PCSK9 exerted an inhibitory effect on the stemness of STAD cells brought by TEAD4 knockdown. The hypothesis that TEAD4/PCSK9 axis can promote STAD cell growth was confirmed by in vivo experiments.

CONCLUSION

Transcription factor TEAD4 could activate PCSK9 to promote the stemness of STAD cells through FAM. These results added weight to the assumption that TEAD4/PCSK9 axis has the potential to be the therapeutic target that inhibits cancer stem cell in STAD.

TEAD4: A key regulator of tumor metastasis and chemoresistance - Mechanisms and therapeutic implications

Cancer metastasis is a complex process influenced by various factors, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor cell proliferation, tumor microenvironment, and cellular metabolic status, which remains a significant challenge in clinical oncology, accounting for a majority of cancer-related deaths. TEAD4, a key mediator of the Hippo signaling pathway, has been implicated in regulating these factors that are all critical in the metastatic cascade. TEAD4 drives tumor metastasis and chemoresistance, and its upregulation is associated with poor prognosis in many types of cancers, making it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. TEAD4 promotes EMT by interacting with coactivators and activating the transcription of genes involved in mesenchymal cell characteristics and extracellular matrix remodeling. Additionally, TEAD4 enhances the stemness of cancer stem cells (CSCs) by regulating the expression of genes associated with CSC maintenance. TEAD4 contributes to metastasis by modulating the secretion of paracrine factors and promoting heterotypic cellular communication. In this paper, we highlight the central role of TEAD4 in cancer metastasis and chemoresistance and its impact on various aspects of tumor biology. Understanding the mechanistic basis of TEAD4-mediated processes can facilitate the development of targeted therapies and combination approaches to combat cancer metastasis and improve treatment outcomes.

HIF-1α signaling: Essential roles in tumorigenesis and implications in targeted therapies

The hypoxic microenvironment is an essential characteristic of most malignant tumors. Notably, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is a key regulatory factor of cellular adaptation to hypoxia, and many critical pathways are correlated with the biological activity of organisms via HIF-1α. In the intra-tumoral hypoxic environment, HIF-1α is highly expressed and contributes to the malignant progression of tumors, which in turn results in a poor prognosis in patients. Recently, it has been indicated that HIF-1α involves in various critical processes of life events and tumor development via regulating the expression of HIF-1α target genes, such as cell proliferation and apoptosis, angiogenesis, glucose metabolism, immune response, therapeutic resistance, etc. Apart from solid tumors, accumulating evidence has revealed that HIF-1α is also closely associated with the development and progression of hematological malignancies, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Targeted inhibition of HIF-1α can facilitate an increased sensitivity of patients with malignancies to relevant therapeutic agents. In the review, we elaborated on the basic structure and biological functions of HIF-1α and summarized their current role in various malignancies. It is expected that they will have future potential for targeted therapy.

Transcription factor TEAD4 facilitates glycolysis and proliferation of gastric cancer cells by activating PKMYT1

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks third for cancer deaths worldwide, and glycolysis is a hallmark of several cancers, including GC. TEAD4 plays a role in establishing an oncogenic cascade in cancers, including GC. Whether TEAD4 can influence the glycolysis of GC cells remains uncovered. Hence, this study attempted to investigate the impact on glycolysis of GC cells by TEAD4.

METHODS

By using bioinformatics analysis, differentially expressed mRNAs were screened, and downstream regulatory genes were predicted. Expression levels of TEAD4 and PKMYT1 were assessed by qRT-PCR. The binding sites between TEAD4 and PKMYT1 were predicted by the JASPAR database, meanwhile their modulatory relationship was confirmed through dual-luciferase assay and chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Cell viability and proliferation were assayed via CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Glycolysis was measured by assaying extracellular acidification rate, oxygen consumption rate, and production of pyruvic acid, lactate, citrate, and malate. Expression levels of proteins (HK-2 and PKM2) related to glycolysis were assessed by Western blot.

RESULTS

TEAD4 was upregulated in GC tissues and cells. TEAD4 knockdown substantially repressed glycolysis and proliferation of GC cells. PKMYT1, the target gene downstream of TEAD4, was identified via bioinformatics prediction, and its expression was elevated in GC. Dual-luciferase and ChIP assay validated the targeted relationship between the promoter region of PKMYT1 and TEAD4. As revealed by rescue experiments, the knockdown of TEAD4 reversed the stimulative effect on GC cell glycolysis and proliferation by forced expression of PKMYT1.

CONCLUSION

TEAD4 activated PKMYT1 to facilitate the proliferation and glycolysis of GC cells. TEAD4 and PKMYT1 may be possible therapeutic targets for GC.

Integrative Analysis of Single-Cell and Bulk RNA Sequencing Reveals Prognostic Characteristics of Macrophage Polarization-Related Genes in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a group of cancers with poor prognosis. The combination of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) can identify important genes involved in cancer development and progression from a broader perspective.

Methods

The scRNA-seq data and bulk RNA-seq data of LUAD were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Analyzing scRNA-seq for core cells in the GSE131907 dataset, and the uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) was used for dimensionality reduction and cluster identification. Macrophage polarization-associated subtypes were acquired from the TCGA-LUAD dataset after analysis, followed by further identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the TCGA-LUAD dataset (normal/LUAD tissue samples, two subtypes). Venn diagrams were utilized to visualize differentially expressed and highly variable macrophage polarization-related genes. Subsequently, a prognostic risk model for LUAD patients was constructed by univariate Cox and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), and the model was investigated for stability in the external data GSE72094. After analyzing the correlation between the trait genes and significantly mutated genes, the immune infiltration between the high/low-risk groups was then examined. The Monocle package was applied to analyze the pseudo-temporal trajectory analysis of different cell clusters in macrophage clusters. Subsequently, cell clusters of data macrophages were selected as key cell clusters to explore the role of characteristic genes in different cell populations and to identify transcription factors (TFs) that affect signature genes. Finally, qPCR were employed to validate the expression levels of prognosis signature genes in LUAD.

Results

424 macrophage highly variable genes, 3920 DEGs, and 9561 DEGs were obtained from macrophage clusters, the macrophage polarization-related subtypes, and normal/LUAD tissue samples, respectively. Twenty-eight differentially expressed and highly mutated MPRGs were obtained. A prognostic risk model with 7 DE-MPRGs (RGS13, ADRB2, DDIT4, MS4A2, ALDH2, CTSH, and PKM) was constructed. This prognostic model still has a good prediction effect in the GSE72094 dataset. ZNF536 and DNAH9 were mutated in the low-risk group, while COL11A1 was mutated in the high-risk group, and they were highly correlated with the characteristic genes. A total of 11 immune cells were significantly different in the high/low-risk groups. Five cell types were again identified in the macrophage cluster, and then NK cells: CD56hiCD62L+ differentiated earlier and were present mainly on 2 branches. While macrophages were present on 2 branches and differentiated later. It was found that the expression levels of BCLAF1 and MAX were higher in cluster 1, which might be the TFs affecting the expression of the characteristic genes. Moreover, qPCR confirmed that the expression of the prognosis genes was generally consistent with the results of the bioinformatic analysis.

Conclusion

Seven MPRGs (RGS13, ADRB2, DDIT4, MS4A2, ALDH2, CTSH, and PKM) were identified as prognostic genes for LUAD and revealed the mechanisms of MPRGs at the single-cell level.

NCAPG stimulates lung adenocarcinoma cell stemness through aerobic glycolysis

BACKGROUND

Cancer stem cells are pivotal in cancer progression and therapy, including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). High NCAPG level is implicated in malignant tumorigenesis, but investigations on NCAPG and LUAD stem cells are warranted. Hence, projecting the impact of NCAPG on cell stemness and the targeted therapy for LUAD is of the essence.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analyzed NCAPG expression in LUAD tissues. qRT-PCR assayed NCAPG expression in LUAD cells. CCK-8 assessed cell viability and cell sphere-forming assay measured sphere-forming ability. Western blot assessed expression of stem cell-related markers (CD133, CD44, Oct-4) and specific genes (HK2, PKM2, LDHA) related to glycolysis metabolism pathway. Cellular glycolytic capacity was assayed by glycolytic metabolites pyruvic acid, lactate, citrate, and malate assay kits, and extracellular acidification rate and oxygen consumption rate analyzers.

RESULTS

NCAPG was upregulated in LUAD and enriched in the aerobic glycolysis pathway, and its expression was positively correlated with that of glycolytic marker genes. Cell function assays revealed that NCAPG stimulated proliferation, stemness, and glycolytic activity of LUAD cells. Rescue experiments unveiled that 2-DG (glycolysis inhibitor) was able to reverse the stimulative impact of NCAPG overexpression on proliferation, stemness, and glycolytic activity of LUAD cells.

CONCLUSION

NCAPG stimulated LUAD cell stemness through activation of glycolysis pathway. NCAPG may be possible biomarker for diagnosis and target for treatment of LUAD.

TEAD4 predicts poor prognosis and transcriptionally targets PLAGL2 in serous ovarian cancer

The oncogenic function of TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) has been confirmed in multiple human malignancies, while its potential role and regulatory mechanism in serous ovarian cancer progression are left unknown. By the gene expression analyses from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, TEAD4 expression is shown to be up-regulated in serous ovarian cancer samples. Here, we confirmed the high expression of TEAD4 in clinical serous ovarian cancer specimens. In the following functional experiments, we found that TEAD4 overexpression promoted serous ovarian cancer malignant phenotypes, including proliferation, migration and invasion in serous ovarian cancer SK-OV-3 and OVCAR-3 cells, while TEAD4 knockout exerted the opposite function. The tumor growth inhibition of TEAD4 depletion was also affirmed by a Xenograft model in mice. In addition, this phenotypic deterioration induced by TEAD4 overexpression was diminished by PLAG1 like zinc finger 2 (PLAGL2) silencing. More importantly, combined with the results of the dual-luciferase assay, the transcriptional regulation of TEAD4 on PLAGL2 promoter was evidenced. Our results showed that the cancer-promoting gene TEAD4 was involved in serous ovarian cancer progression via targeting PLAGL2 at the transcriptional level.

A derivant of ginsenoside CK and its inhibitory effect on hepatocellular carcinoma

Epidemiological studies have shown that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a main cause of tumor death worldwide. Accumulating data indicate that ginsenoside CK is an effective compound for preventing HCC growth and development. However, improvement of pharmaceutical effect of the ginsenoside CK is still needed. In our study, we performed acetylation of ginsenoside CK (CK-3) and investigated the antitumor effects of the derivative in vitro and in vivo. The cytotoxicity analysis revealed that compared with CK, CK-3 could inhibit the proliferation of multiple tumor cell lines at a lower concentration. Treating with CK-3 on HCC cells arrested cell cycle in G2/M phase and induced cell apoptosis through AO/EB staining, TUNEL analysis and flow cytometry. Meanwhile, CK-3 significantly inhibited tumor growth in an HCC xenograft model and showed no side effect on the function of the main organs. Mechanistically, whole transcriptome analysis revealed that the antitumor effect of CK-3 was involved in the Hippo signaling pathway. The immunoblotting and immunofluorescence results illustrated that CK-3 directly facilitated the phosphorylation of YAP1 and decreased the expression of the main transcription factor TEAD2 in HCC cell lines and tumor tissue sections. Collectively, our results demostrate the formation of a new derivative of ginsenoside CK and its regulatory mechanism in HCC, which could activate the Hippo-YAP1-TEAD2 signaling pathway to regulate HCC progression. This research could provide a new direction for traditional Chinese medicine in the therapy of tumors.

A Four-Gene Prognostic Signature Based on the TEAD4 Differential Expression Predicts Overall Survival and Immune Microenvironment Estimation in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background: TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) is a member of the transcriptional enhancer factor (TEF) family of transcription factors, which is studied to be linked to the tumorigenesis and progression of various forms of cancers, including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the specific function of this gene in the progression of LUAD remains to be explored.

Method: A total of 19 genes related to the Hippo pathway were analyzed to identify the significant genes involved in LUAD progression. The TCGA-LUAD data (n = 585) from public databases were mined, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in patients with the differential level of TEAD4 were identified. The univariate Cox regression, zero LASSO regression coefficients, and multivariate Cox regression were performed to identify the independent prognostic signatures. The immune microenvironment estimation in the two subgroups, including immune cell infiltration, HLA family genes, and immune checkpoint genes, was assessed. The Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and GO were conducted to analyze the functional enrichment of DEGs between the two risk groups. The potential drugs for the high-risk subtypes were forecasted via the mode of action (moa) module of the connectivity map (CMap) database.

Results:TEAD4 was found to be significantly correlated with poor prognosis in LUAD-patients. A total of 102 DEGs in TEAD4-high vs. TEAD4-low groups were identified. Among these DEGs, four genes (CPS1, ANLN, RHOV, and KRT6A) were identified as the independent prognostic signature to conduct the Cox risk model. The immune microenvironment estimation indicated a strong relationship between the high TEAD4 expression and immunotherapeutic resistance. The GSEA and GO showed that pathways, including cell cycle regulation, were enriched in the high-risk group, while immune response-related and metabolism biological processes were enriched in the low-risk group. Several small molecular perturbagens targeting CFTR or PLA2G1B, by the mode of action (moa) modules of the glucocorticoid receptor agonist, cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and NFkB pathway inhibitor, were predicted to be suited for the high-risk subtypes based on the high TEAD4 expression.

Conclusion: The current study revealed TEAD4 is an immune regulation–related predictor of prognosis and a novel therapeutic target for LUAD.

TEAD4 as an Oncogene and a Mitochondrial Modulator

TEAD4 (TEA Domain Transcription Factor 4) is well recognized as the DNA-anchor protein of YAP transcription complex, which is modulated by Hippo, a highly conserved pathway in Metazoa that controls organ size through regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. To acquire full transcriptional activity, TEAD4 requires co-activator, YAP (Yes-associated protein) or its homolog TAZ (transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif) the signaling hub that relays the extracellular stimuli to the transcription of target genes. Growing evidence suggests that TEAD4 also exerts its function in a YAP-independent manner through other signal pathways. Although TEAD4 plays an essential role in determining that differentiation fate of the blastocyst, it also promotes tumorigenesis by enhancing metastasis, cancer stemness, and drug resistance. Upregulation of TEAD4 has been reported in several cancers, including colon cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer and serves as a valuable prognostic marker. Recent studies show that TEAD4, but not other members of the TEAD family, engages in regulating mitochondrial dynamics and cell metabolism by modulating the expression of mitochondrial- and nuclear-encoded electron transport chain genes. TEAD4’s functions including oncogenic activities are tightly controlled by its subcellular localization. As a predominantly nuclear protein, its cytoplasmic translocation is triggered by several signals, such as osmotic stress, cell confluency, and arginine availability. Intriguingly, TEAD4 is also localized in mitochondria, although the translocation mechanism remains unclear. In this report, we describe the current understanding of TEAD4 as an oncogene, epigenetic regulator and mitochondrial modulator. The contributing mechanisms will be discussed.

Salvianolic Acid B Suppresses Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Metastasis through PKM2-Independent Metabolic Reprogramming

Objective

Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) has been demonstrated to be a potential chemoprevention agent for several cancers. Herein, we investigated the pharmacological function of Sal B on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) metastasis.

Methods

Two NSCLC cell lines (NCI-H2030 and NCI-H1650) were disposed of by 200 μM Sal B or 10 μM PKM2 agonist TEPP-46. Wound healing and transwell experiments were implemented for analyzing migratory and invasive capacities. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers β-catenin and E-cadherin were measured via western blotting. Cellular bioenergetics were evaluated with glucose uptake, lactate production, enolase activity, cellular ATP levels, as well as seahorse-based oxygen consumption rate (OCR), extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) analysis. Metabolic reprogramming markers PKM2, LDHA, and GLUT1 were detected via western blotting and immunofluorescence.

Results

The results showed that Sal B disposal weakened the migration and invasion of NCI-H2030 and NCI-H1650 cells and inactivated the EMT process according to downregulation of β-catenin and upregulation of E-cadherin. Sal B-treated NSCLC cells displayed decreased glucose uptake, lactate production, enolase activity, cellular ATP levels, OCR, and ECAR, indicating a reduction in metabolic reprogramming. Additionally, Sal B downregulated the expression of PKM2, LDHA, and GLUT1. TEPP-46 may reverse the inhibitory effect of Sal B on metastasis as well as metabolic reprogramming.

Conclusion

Our findings provide evidence that Sal B enables to weaken NSCLC metastasis through PKM2-independent metabolic reprogramming, which sheds light on the promising therapeutic usage of Sal B in treating NSCLC.