title: TSPAN8 promotes gastric cancer growth and metastasis via ERK MAPK pathway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to investigate the effects of Tetraspanin 8 (TSPAN8) overexpression and TSPAN8 suppression on gastric cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Furthermore, whether extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was involved in TSPAN8's function on gastric cancer cells was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of TSPAN8 in human gastric cancer tissues and gastric cancer cell lines was detected using real-time PCR and western blot analysis. TSPAN8-pcDNA3.1 plasmid or TSPAN8 siRNA was transfected into the gastric cancer cell lines to overexpress or suppress TSPAN8. Cells were treated with U0126 to inhibit ERK MAPK pathway. Cell proliferation and invasion were assessed by MTT and transwell-matrigel assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TSPAN8 was overexpressed in human gastric cancer tissues and gastric cancer cell lines compared with the normal. TSPAN8 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and invasion, while TSPAN8 suppression inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. TSPAN8 could activate the ERK MAPK pathway in gastric cancer cells, and MEK-ERK inhibition reversed the effects of TSPAN8 overexpression on cell proliferation and invasion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study firstly demonstrated that TSPAN8 promotes gastric cancer cell growth and metastasis at least partially through the activation of ERK MAPK pathway. These findings provided a novel molecular basis for the understanding and treatment of gastric cancer.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University Kaifeng 475000, Henan, China.
authors: Lunshou
authors: L
authors: Wei
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University Kaifeng 475000, Henan, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University Kaifeng 475000, Henan, China.
authors: Zhimin
authors: Z
authors: Suo
keywords: ERK MAPK pathway; TSPAN8; gastric cancer; growth; metastasis