The Expression and Prognostic Significance of VEGF and CXCR4 in Gastric Cancer: Correlation with Angiogenesis, Lymphangiogenesis and Progression - PubMed
Source : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35877436/
The cellular response to hypoxia includes the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and its target genes: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and prognostic significance of VEGF and CXCR4, ...
Conclusion: VEGF and CXCR4 play an important role in tumor progression. Their overexpression correlates with a bad prognosis and may improve high-risk patient selection, and these patients may obtain additional survival benefits if treated more aggressively.
• Source: Current Issues in Molecular Biology
• Conclusion: “The results of the presented research suggest a significant role of VEGF and CXCR4 in the biology of gastric cancer. The possible predictive value of both proteins may be promising. Nevertheless, further analyses are required to assess their usefulness in clinical practice. Identifying specific biomarkers for the metastatic potential of primary gastric cancer would allow better patient selection for more radical treatment.”
• Hypoxia mediates the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), along with the target genes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). Polish investigators assessed the mRNA expression of VEGF and CXCR4 in 28 patients with gastric cancer.
• They found that high VEGF levels were present in 71% of tumors, and levels for CXCR4 were high in 64% of tumors. On further analysis, VEGF expression was associated with tumor invasion, stage, and microvessel density, while CXCR4 was related to lymph node metastases and stage. Higher mRNA expression of CXCR4 predicted lower 3-year survival.
• “The influence of markers of angiogenesis in gastric cancer is currently under debate,” the authors state. “Little is known about the correlation between the mRNA level and the protein expression of VEGF …. Currently, there are no predictive biomarkers available to predict the benefit of anti-angiogenic agents in the treatment of gastric cancer [6]. Therefore, it is difficult to identify patients with tumors more sensitive to angiogenesis inhibitors.”
• One limitation of the current study is the small sample size.