title: Adenoviral delivery of the EMX2 gene suppresses growth in human gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  EMX2 is a human orthologue of the Drosophila empty spiracles homeobox gene that has been implicated in embryogenesis. Recent studies suggest possible involvement of EMX2 in human cancers; however, the role of EMX2 in carcinogenesis needs further exploration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we reported that down-regulation of EMX2 expression was significantly correlated with EMX2 promoter hypermethylation in gastric cancer. Restoring EMX2 expression using an adenovirus delivery system in gastric cancer cell lines lacking endogenous EMX2 expression led to inhibition of cell proliferation and Wnt signaling pathway both in vitro and in a gastric cancer xenograft model in vivo. In addition, we observed that animals treated with the adenoviral EMX2 expression vector had significantly better survival than those treated with empty adenoviral vector.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that EMX2 is a putative tumor suppressor in human gastric cancer. The adenoviral-EMX2 may have potential as a novel gene therapy for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Protein Science Laboratory of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Minli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiu-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhi
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hai-Meng
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway; D000099260:Empty Spiracles Homeobox Proteins
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099260:Empty Spiracles Homeobox Proteins