Lung cancer is one of the most malignant and prevalent tumors and accounts for the vast majority of cancer death worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying lung cancer progression are poorly understood. Here, we reveal that both transcription and protein expression levels of Cox15 were increased in lung cancer. Nrf2 specifically binds to the Cox15 promoter and triggers Cox15 expression at the transcriptional level. Cox15 functions as a novel oncogene that facilitates lung cancer cell proliferation. Additionally, Aripiprazole, a potent inhibitor of Cox15, executives profoundly suppressive effects on lung cancers cells growth and tumor progression in vivo and in vitro through exerting therapeutic effects. Taken together, our results unravel that Cox15 holds great potential to act as a prognostic molecule for lung cancer patients’ prognosis in the future.

肺癌是最恶性和最普遍的肿瘤之一，占全世界癌症死亡的绝大多数。然而，人们对肺癌进展的分子机制知之甚少。在这里，我们揭示了 Cox15 的转录和蛋白质表达水平在肺癌中都增加了。Nrf2 特异性结合 Cox15 启动子并在转录水平触发 Cox15 表达。Cox15 是一种促进肺癌细胞增殖的新型癌基因。此外，Cox15 的强效抑制剂阿立哌唑在体内和体外对肺癌细胞生长和肿瘤进展具有深刻的抑制作用通过发挥治疗作用。总之，我们的结果揭示了 Cox15 在未来作为肺癌患者预后的预后分子具有巨大潜力。