Overexpression of TRIB3 promotes angiogenesis in human gastric cancer

Tribbles homolog 3 (TRIB3) plays important roles in many types of malignancies. However, whether TRIB3 is involved in the development or progression of gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed TRIB3 expression in GC tissues from 191 GC patients categorized with stage I to IV disease, to examine the role of TRIB3 in GC, and examined the relationship between TRIB3 and tumor angiogenesis. We found that TRIB3 expression was significantly higher in GC tissues than that in adjacent non-tumor tissues. TRIB3 expression was associated with VEGF-A and tumor microvessel density, as well as overall TNM stage, T stage, N stage, and distant metastasis in GC tissues. Furthermore, TRIB3 silencing downregulated VEGF-A expression in GC cells, which subsequently suppressed endothelial cell recruitment and vessel formation. In conclusion, overexpression of TRIB3 is associated with tumor angiogenesis and a poor prognosis in patients with GC. Our findings indicate that TRIB3 is a promising target for anti-angiogenic therapy in GC.