Advances in the molecular mechanisms and clinical applications of LEMD1 in tumor development and progression (Review).

LAP2-emerin-MAN1 (LEM) domain-containing protein 1 (LEMD1), first identified in colorectal cancer in 2004, is a gene that is specifically expressed in the testis. The expression of LEMD1 is minimal in normal somatic cells but high in various types of malignant tumor (such as gastric, prostate, pancreatic and colorectal cancer as well as oral squamous cell carcinoma) due to abnormal promoter demethylation. LEMD1 promotes cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis during tumor progression, making it a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target. The present review summarized the research progress of LEMD1 as a cancer-testis antigen in tumor biology. Furthermore, the present review investigated the molecular structure and biological functions of LEMD1, its expression patterns, clinical relevance in various types of tumor, and highlighted current research challenges and future directions.