[Current views of the molecular mechanisms of gastric cancer progression]

The available technologies have expanded our knowledge about the mechanisms of oncoprogression. Studies of the Wnt signaling pathway in the neoplastic cells could identify new promising markers in assessing the course and prognosis of this disease. beta-catenin as a key protein of the Wnt pathway is involved in the regulation of tumor proliferative activity and in the processes of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, by regulating E-cadherin metabolism and affecting the close contacts of the gastric epithelium. A competitive interaction between P-cadherin and beta-catenin without forming reasonably close contacts is another cause of impaired intercellular interactions and tumor metastases. Claudin-1 expression in the tumor pool as a marker of invasion requires further investigations. Traditional markers of proliferation and apoptosis, such as Ki-67, p53, and bcl-2, may be further used to estimate the rate of tumor growth.