The global burden of
colorectal cancer (CRC) has rapidly increased in recent years. Dysregulated
cholesterol homeostasis facilitated by extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling transforms the tumor microenvironment.
Collagen I, a major with ECM component is highly expressed in
colorectal tumors with infiltrative growth. Although
oxysterol binding protein (OSBP)-related
proteins accommodate
tumorigenesis, OSBPL2, which is usually involved in
deafness, is not associated with CRC progression. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the pathological function of OSBPL2 and identify the molecular link between ECM-
Collagen I and OSBPL2 in CRC to facilitate the development of new treatments for CRC. OSBPL2 predicted a favorable prognosis in stage IV CRC and substantially repressed
Collagen I-induced focal adhesion, migration, and invasion. The reduction of OSBPL2 activated ERK signaling through the VCAN/AREG/EREG axis during CRC growth, while relying on PARP1 via ZEB1 in CRC
metastasis. OSBPL2 defect supported
colorectal tumor growth and
metastasis, which were suppressed by the ERK and PARP1 inhibitors
SCH772984 and
AG14361, respectively. Overall, our findings revealed that the
Collagen I-induced loss of OSBPL2 aggravates CRC progression through VCAN-mediated ERK signaling and the PARP1/ZEB1 axis. This demonstrates that
SCH772984 and
AG14361 are reciprocally connective
therapies for OSBPL2Low CRC, which could contribute to further development of targeted CRC treatment.