Work

KLF15 activates PGC1α to rewire mitochondrial homeostasis and overcome cisplatin resistance in lung adenocarcinoma

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Cisplatin resistance represents a major barrier to effective treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), yet its metabolic underpinnings remain incompletely defined. Here, we demonstrate that the transcription factor KLF15 governs cisplatin sensitivity by orchestrating mitochondrial biogenesis and redox homeostasis. KLF15 is downregulated in cisplatin-resistant LUAD cells, which display reduced mitochondrial content and suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Restoring KLF15 expression resensitizes LUAD cells to cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, KLF15 directly transactivates PGC1α, and loss of PGC1α abrogates KLF15-mediated cisplatin sensitization, restoring drug resistance by attenuating apoptosis. Functionally, LUAD subpopulations with low mitochondrial mass or low KLF15 expression exhibit intrinsic resistance, whereas Mito-high xenografts show enhanced therapeutic response. Together, our findings identify a KLF15-PGC1α regulatory axis that dictates mitochondrial reprogramming and cisplatin responsiveness, highlighting a potential therapeutic axis to overcome chemoresistance in LUAD.

Source: Cell Death Discovery

DOI: 10.1038/s41420-026-03235-3