Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Transmembrane Protein Family-Related Markers in Gastric Cancer and Implications for Targeted Therapies
Published on: September 15, 2023
Elevated THBS2, COL1A2, and SPP1 Expression Levels as Predictors of Gastric Cancer Prognosis
Chuanjun Zhuo1, Xubin Li, Hongqing Zhuang
1Department of Psychological Medicine, Wenzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Wenzhou, China.
Background/Aims:
Gastric cancer (GC) is an important health problem. Classification based on molecular subtypes may help to determine the prognosis of patients with GC. Tumor invasion and metastasis are important factors affecting the prognosis of cancer. We aimed to identify genes related to tumor invasion and metastasis, which may serve as indicators of good GC prognosis.
Methods:
Tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 105 patients with primary GC who were treated by undergoing radical surgery. Samples were used for tissue microarray analysis. Identified genes with altered expression were further analyzed using the Gene Ontology (Go) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. The expression levels of THBS2, COL1A2 and SPP1 were analyzed by RT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The overall survival curves of patients with high and low expression of each gene of interest were plotted and compared.
Results:
Forty-three genes were identified. THBS2, COL1A2 and SPP1 were selected for further analysis. Altered expression levels of THBS2, COL1A2 and SPP1 in tumor tissues were confirmed. Patients with low THBS2 expression had a better prognosis; the expression of COL1A2 and SPP1 might not affect the prognosis of patients with GC.
Conclusion:
THBS2, but not COL1A2 and SPP1, may serve as an indicator of GC prognosis.

