Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Author Spotlight: Genetic Profiling for Fluorouracil Response in Gastric Cancer
Published on: May 10, 2024
LIF/LIFR Signaling in Gastric Cancer: A Double-Edged Sword in Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance
Daniel Park1, Kyung-Il Kim2, Yate-Ching Yuan3
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of California San Francisco - Fresno Campus, Fresno, California, USA.
Abstract:
Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, driven by late-stage diagnoses and poor survival outcomes. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) are increasingly recognized as critical players in GC pathophysiology, though their exact roles are not fully understood. LIF, a multifunctional cytokine in the interleukin-6 family, signals through the LIFR/gp130 complex and activates oncogenic pathways such as JAK/STAT3, MAPK/ERK, and Hippo-YAP. Emerging evidence indicates that LIF drives tumor progression by promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, immune evasion, and chemoresistance. Clinically, high LIF expression is associated with poor prognosis, peritoneal metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. This review explores the molecular mechanisms of LIF/LIFR signaling in GC, highlighting its potential as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. MINI ABSTRACT CONCLUSION: The LIF/LIFR pathway contributing to gastric cancer is complex with context-dependent pro- versus anti-tumorigenic roles in GC progression, marking it as a significant biomarker and target for future therapies.
More Related Videos
10:28Gene Regulation and Targeted Therapy in Gastric Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis: Radiological Findings from Dual Energy CT and PET/CT
Published on: January 22, 2018
08:59Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down
Published on: December 11, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...