eLife Assessment
This work attempts to demonstrate an ATP-independent non-canonical role of proteasomal component PA28y in the promotion of oral squamous cell carcinoma growth, migration, and invasion. The evidence around the following two areas remains incomplete and would benefit from further experimental work: 1) the stabilisation of the complement C1q binding protein (C1QBp) by PA28y, and 2) the impact of the PA28y-C1QBp interaction on mitochondrial function.