期刊
ONCOTARGETS AND THERAPY
卷 14, 期 -, 页码 4099-4117出版社
DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD
DOI: 10.2147/OTT.S314561
关键词
FSTL3; biomarker; gastric cancer; EMT; M2 macrophages
资金
- Youth Science and Technology Project of Suzhou [KJXW2019059]
- Suzhou Science and Technology Development Plan [SYSD2019006]
- Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD) [[2018] 87]
- Science and Technology Program for Social Development of Jiangsu Province, China [BE2019771]
- State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People's Republic of China [JDZX2015090]
- National Nature Science Foundation of china [81973782]
- Open Projects of the Discipline of Chinese Medicine of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine by the Subject of Academic Priority Discipline of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions
The study found that FSTL3 expression is upregulated in gastric cancer patients and is significantly associated with cancer stage, pathological tumor grade, and survival prognosis. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that FSTL3 overexpression can activate epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promote the proliferation of M2 macrophages.
Purpose: Follistatin-related gene 3 (FSTL3), an established oncogene, can modulate target gene expression via members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) superfamily. The present study was conducted to evaluate the expression of FSTL3 in gastric cancer (GC) and to determine its prognostic significance. We also evaluated the possible mechanisms involved in the oncogenic role of FSTL3 in gastric carcinogenesis and development. Methods: We obtained data from the Human Protein Atlas, MethSurv, cBioPortal, UALCAN, TIMER, GEPIA, STRING, GeneMANIA, ONCOMINE, and MEXPRESS databases and examined it using R software. RNAi was used to establish stable FSTL3-knockdown (shFSTL3) and overexpression (OE) cell strains. Western blot; enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA); and immunohistochemical (ICH), immunofluorescence, and phalloidin staining were used for examining protein expression. Cell invasion and migration were determined using transwell and scratch-wound assays. After tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) generation, co-culturing of cancer cells with TAMs was performed to confirm the relationship between FSTL3 and TAMs. Results: In GC patients, FSTL3 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated. FSTL3 expression was significantly linked to cancer stage as well as to pathological tumor grade in GC. Moreover, a high expression of FSTL3 was associated with a dismal survival duration in patients with GC. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that FSTL3 overexpression could activate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by promoting F-actin expression and BMP/SMAD signaling. Finally, immunofluorescence staining confirmed that the overexpression of FSTL3 promoted the proliferation of M2 TAMs. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggest that FSTL3 may be involved in GC progression via the promotion of BMP/SMAD signaling-mediated EMT and M2 macrophage activation.
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