Open AccessClinicopathological significance of the micro RNA ‐146a/ WASP ‐family verprolin‐homologous protein‐2 axis in gastric cancer
Author(s) -
Yao Qunyan,
Tu Chuantao,
Lu Di,
Zou Yanting,
Liu Hongchun,
Zhang Shuncai
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.13254
Subject(s) - downregulation and upregulation , cancer , metastasis , biology , cancer research , cancer cell , pathology , medicine , gene , biochemistry , genetics
Gastric cancer ( GC ) is one of the most common malignancies, and cancer invasion and metastasis are the leading causes of cancer‐induced death in GC patients. WASP ‐family verprolin‐homologous protein‐2 ( WASF 2), with a role controlling actin polymerization which is critical in the formation of membrane protrusions involved in cell migration and invasion, has been reported to possess cancer‐promoting effects in several cancers. However, data of WASF 2's role in GC are relatively few and even contradictory. In this study, we analyzed WASF 2 expression in GC tissues and their corresponding adjacent normal tissues. We found that WASF 2 was upregulated in GC tissues and high level of WASF 2 was associated with lymph node metastasis of GC . Through gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies, WASF 2 was shown to significantly increase GC cells migration and invasion, but had no effect on proliferation in vitro . Importantly, WASF 2 was also found to enhance GC metastasis in vivo . Our previous research suggested that WASF 2 was a direct target of micro RNA ‐146a (miR‐146a). Furthermore, we analyzed miR‐146a's level in GC tissues and their corresponding adjacent normal tissues. We found that miR‐146a was downregulated in GC tissues and low miR‐146a level was associated with advanced TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. The level of WASF 2 in GC tissues was negatively correlated with miR‐146a expression and had inverse clinicopathologic features. The newly identified miR‐146a/ WASF 2 axis may provide a novel therapeutic target for GC .