Annexin A11(ANXA 11) facilitates oral squamous cell carcinoma progression via activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Abstract Oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies with a high incidence of recurrence and metastasis, accounting for about 90% of the oral and maxillofacial malignant neoplasms. The Annexin A11 (ANXA11) gene has been implicated in various human cancers, with highly expressed ANXA11 reported in the majority of cancers. In the current study, ANXA11 is a highly expressed gene in OSCC patients associated with the TNM stage, degrees of differentiation, and lymph node metastasis. Small interfering RNA verified that ANXA11 accelerated OSCC cell proliferation in vitro by involving the cell cycle and expedited neoplasm growth in vivo. Additionally, the knockdown of ANXA11 effectively suppressed metastasis capacity. Mechanistically, ANXA11 knockdown decreases the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT, inferring that ANXA11 facilitates OSCC progression via activating the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway in OSCC. In summary, ANXA11, as a novel oncogene, is a potential therapeutic target in OSCC.