Homeobox Protein BarH-like 1 Promotes Gastric Cancer Progression by Activating Coiled-Coil Domain-Containing Protein...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Coiled-coil domain-containing protein 178 (CCDC178) promotes metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.
• The role of CCDC178 in gastric cancer (GC) remains largely unknown.
• Understanding CCDC178's function in GC is crucial for developing targeted therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of CCDC178 in gastric cancer (GC) progression.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying CCDC178's function in GC.
• To identify potential therapeutic targets for GC treatment.

Main Methods:

• Bioinformatic analysis of GC datasets to identify prognostic genes.
• Loss- and gain-of-function assays to assess CCDC178, BARX1, and ERK pathway involvement.
• In vivo experiments to validate findings in a preclinical model.

Main Results:

• High CCDC178 expression correlates with poor GC prognosis and increased macrophage infiltration.
• CCDC178 activates the ERK pathway, enhancing GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.
• BARX1 transcriptionally upregulates CCDC178, promoting M2-like macrophage polarization.

Conclusions:

• BARX1-induced CCDC178 activation of the ERK pathway drives GC progression.
• This pathway supports tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) recruitment and M2-like polarization.
• Targeting the BARX1-CCDC178-ERK axis offers a potential therapeutic strategy for GC.