Mannose-Binding Lectin 2 as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Multi-Omics Analysis and Experimental Validation.

Mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2), a member of the multimeric lectin family, is crucial in immune regulation and tumor development. gene polymorphisms are associated with the risk and prognosis of various tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its functional role in HCC remains largely unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify whether is a key regulator and a potential therapeutic target for HCC. A bioinformatics analysis revealed close relationships among downregulation, the tumor-associated proliferation and metastasis pathway, and tumor immunosuppressive microenvironments. Lower expression of in HCC patients was linked to an unfavorable prognosis. A cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, transwell migration assay, and wound healing assay further confirmed that the overexpression of could directly inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of HCC. Moreover, expression was regulated by miR-34c-3p, as confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay, thereby demonstrating tumor progression in HCC cells. Thus, our study offers the first comprehensive confirmation of the role of in the development of HCC through multi-omics analysis and experimental validation. Furthermore, miR-34c-3p was found to be an upstream mechanism of the downregulation of expression and could be a promising therapeutic target, expanding treatment options for patients with HCC.