Abstract 5670: CRISPR-Mediated knockout of Ceruloplasmin (CP) and UCHL1 reveals angiogenic role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell survival and proliferation

Abstract Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most prevalent subtype of renal cell carcinoma, accounting for approximately 70% of all cases. Therapeutic treatment for metastatic ccRCC involve tyrosine kinase inhibitors or mTOR inhibiters. While these drugs extend patient survival, it also introduces a range of adverse side effects. Utilizing snRNA sequencing, snATACseq, and spatial transcriptomics, two potential ccRCC tumor specific markers have been identified: ceruloplasmin (CP) and UCHL1. These markers are notably overexpressed in a majority of ccRCC tumor cells and elevated CP levels have been correlated with reduced patient survival. To investigate the roles of CP and UCHL1 in ccRCC, CRISPR-based knockout experiments were conducted on two RCC cell lines, namely RCC4-VHL- and Caki-1. Through cell line characterization assays, we find that the absence of CP and UCHL1 impairs the cells' capabilities to migrate, proliferate, and adhere. Additionally, Cell-Derived Xenografts (CDX) of the knockout cell lines in nude mice revealed that cells lacking UCHL1 exhibited slower tumor growth compared to their parental lines. Bulk RNA sequencing further suggested a potential interrelationship between CP and UCHL1, as CP knockout cells showed increased UCHL1 expression relative to the parental line. These findings open new avenues for potential therapeutic strategies and biomarkers in the treatment and screening of ccRCC and further elevates our understandings of the roles of CP and UCHL1 in RCC tumor progression. Citation Format: Wagma Caravan, Yige Wu, Preet Lal, Kazu Sato, Yize Li, Nataly Naser Al Deen, Siqi Chen, Ateih Abedin, Feng Chen, Li Ding. CRISPR-Mediated knockout of Ceruloplasmin (CP) and UCHL1 reveals angiogenic role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell survival and proliferation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5670.