Transl Androl Urol. 2026 Jun 30;15(6):207. doi: 10.21037/tau-2026-1-0030. Epub 2026 May 14.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common kidney cancer subtype. While localized disease is treated surgically, therapeutic options for advanced cases remain limited. This highlights an urgent need for reliable prognostic markers and novel therapeutic targets. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the clinical significance and functional role of MAGI3 in ccRCC.
METHODS: We analyzed MAGI3 expression in ccRCC and normal tissues using public datasets and clinical samples. Its correlation with clinicopathological features and patient survival was evaluated. The biological role of MAGI3 and its underlying mechanism were investigated through in vitro and in vivo functional assays.
RESULTS: MAGI3 expression was significantly downregulated in tumor tissues compared with adjacent normal kidney specimens. Lower MAGI3 levels correlated positively with advanced tumor stage, higher Fuhrman nuclear grade, lymph node metastasis, increased infiltration of immunosuppressive cell populations, and poorer overall patient prognosis. Functional experiments further demonstrated that MAGI3 overexpression effectively suppressed ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting STAT3 signaling phosphorylation and downstream transcriptional activity.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies MAGI3 as a novel tumor suppressor in ccRCC that constrains cancer progression via the STAT3 pathway. These results firmly establish MAGI3 as a potential prognostic biomarker for ccRCC.
PMID:42436778 | PMC:PMC13355252 | DOI:10.21037/tau-2026-1-0030