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Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The progression of HCC involves complex molecular mechanisms, including chromosomal amplification and alterations in pre-mRNA splicing. In this study, we investigated sodium channel modifier 1 (SCNM1), a component of the minor spliceosome, as a potential oncogenic driver of HCC. Methods We analyzed SCNM1 expression and its relationship with clinical outcomes using The Cancer Genome Atlas and GSE14520 datasets and patient samples. Functional assays, including realtime-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, colony formation, and apoptosis analyses, were performed to elucidate the role of SCNM1 in HCC progression. We also evaluated the correlations between SCNM1 and its downstream targets DERL2 and BAG6. Results Because of DNA copy number gain and arm-level amplification of chromosome 1q, SCNM1 expression was significantly elevated in HCC tissues. High SCNM1 expression correlated with poor prognosis and was identified as an independent prognostic factor. Via its splicing activity, SCNM1 promotes tumor growth, suppresses apoptosis, and regulates the expressions of DERL2 and BAG6, which contribute to cancer cell survival by facilitating protein degradation and suppressing apoptosis. Overexpression of SCNM1 is observed in multiple cancer types, suggesting a broad oncogenic role. Conclusions Sodium channel modifier 1 plays a critical role in HCC progression by regulating the key pathways involved in tumor proliferation and survival. Its restricted expression in specific cancer types and influence on the minor spliceosome highlights its potential as a cancer-specific therapeutic target. Further research on SCNM1-targeted therapies may provide innovative strategies for treating HCC and other cancers.

Background Oral-facial-digital (OFD) syndrome comprises a number of genetically and clinically heterogeneous ciliopathies characterized by distinctive craniofacial, oral cavity and extremities abnormalities. Recently, SCNM1 , encoding a protein component of the minor spliceosome, was associated with OFD syndrome. Until now, only three families had been described with pathogenic variants in this gene. Results Using exome sequencing, we identified biallelic variants in SCNM1 in five additional patients diagnosed with OFD syndrome from four unrelated families. Clinical evaluation of these patients revealed novel features linked to SCNM1 including neurodevelopmental disorders, oculomotor apraxia and skeletal abnormalities. The pathogenicity of a missense variant affecting the C2H2 zinc finger domain of SCNM1, p.(His68Arg), was verified in fibroblasts from a patient with this variant in the homozygous state. These cells exhibited comparable defects to those previously reported in cells lacking SCNM1, including diminished expression of several U12-intron containing genes such as TMEM107 and CIBAR1 , two ciliary genes previously associated with OFD syndrome and postaxial polydactyly, respectively, and abnormal primary cilia. In addition, the mutant version of SCNM1 harboring the p.(His68Arg) change was unable to rescue the phenotype of SCNM1-deficient cells. Conclusions This work expands the molecular and clinical landscape of the SCNM1 -related condition and shows that pathogenic variants in this gene cause a complex phenotype overlapping with OFD types II and VI. Our data improves understanding of the ciliopathy linked to SCNM1 , which is of paramount importance in terms of genetic counselling, particularly with regard to the risks associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.