SorCS3 suppresses adrenocortical carcinoma progression by enhancing IGF2R-mediated endocytic trafficking and signaling attenuation. (PubMed, J Transl Med)
In this study, we identified SorCS3 as a novel tumor suppressor candidate in ACC. Although previously thought to be CNS specific, SorCS3 was found to be expressed in ACC tissues and cell lines. Low SorCS3 levels correlated with poor patient survival in the TCGA cohort. Functionally, SorCS3 enhanced endocytosis in ACC cells and physically or indirectly interacted with IGF2R. OE-SorCS3 increased IGF2R protein levels and reduced phosphorylation of Akt/Erk, suggesting tumor-suppressive effects through IGF2R stabilization and signaling inhibition. Overall, our findings highlight the SorCS3-IGF2R axis as a previously unrecognized regulatory mechanism in ACC progression and suggest that receptor trafficking could be a viable therapeutic target in this malignancy.