HOXA1 promotes aerobic glycolysis and cancer progression in cervical cancer

As a hallmark for cancer, aerobic glycolysis, also known as the Warburg effect contributes to tumor progression. However, the roles of aerobic glycolysis on cervical cancer remain elusive. In this work, we identified transcription factor HOXA1 as a novel regulator of aerobic glycolysis. High expression of HOXA1 is closely associated with poor outcome of patients. And, altered HOXA1 expression enhance or reduce aerobic glycolysis and progression in cervical cancer. Mechanistically, HOXA1 directly regulates the transcriptional activity of ENO1 and PGK1, thus induce glycolysis and promote cancer progression. Moreover, therapeutic knockdown of HOXA1 results in reduce aerobic glycolysis and inhibits cervical cancer progression in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, these data indicate a therapeutic role of HOXA1 inhibits aerobic glycolysis and cervical cancer progression.