LAUSR

Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1), a 17-kDa membrane protein, is largely known as a player in many cellular functions. Recently, there have been studies showing overexpression of IFITM1 in cancers and a positive correlation of IFITM1 overexpression with tumor progression. However, it is poorly understood what role IFITM1 plays in lung cancer. In this study, we presented evidence that IFITM1 was highly expressed in lung cancer tissues and cell lines. IFITM1 silencing inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, the in vivo experiments showed that IFITM1 silencing suppressed lung cancer cell growth and metastasis. Finally, we found that IFITM1 silencing decreased the protein levels of β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-Myc in lung cancer cells. Taken together, our study suggested that IFITM1 might function as a tumor promoter during lung cancer development.