剪切因子RBM17在胃癌中的表达及其促进肿瘤生长的作用

Abstract

Background Globally, gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies and a major cause of cancer‑related deaths, with limited treatment options for advanced stages. RNA‑binding motif protein 17 (RBM17) is a core component of the spliceosome that has been implicated in cancer development, yet its role in GC remains elusive. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate RBM17 expression, its clinical relevance, and its functional impact on GC cell malignant behaviors. Results We first analyzed publicly available datasets (TCGA and GEPIA) and confirmed the findings in 12 paired GC and adjacent normal tissues using qRT‑PCR and Western blotting. RBM17 mRNA and protein levels were consistently upregulated in GC tissues and in four cell lines (MGC‑803, MKN‑45, AGS, HGC‑27) compared with normal gastric epithelial cells ( p < 0.05). For functional studies, we employed lentiviral vectors to overexpress or knockdown RBM17 in GC cells. CCK‑8 and EdU incorporation assays revealed that RBM17 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, whereas RBM17 depletion suppressed cell proliferation. Moreover, wound‑healing and Transwell invasion assays demonstrated that RBM17 overexpression enhanced migration and invasion, while RBM17 silencing attenuated these abilities (all p < 0.05). Conclusions Collectively, these results indicate that RBM17 acts as an oncogene in GC by driving proliferation and metastasis, and it may serve as a potential biomarker for prognosis and a novel therapeutic target. Download: Download high-res image (210KB) Download: Download full-size image