RYK, a receptor of non-canonical Wnt ligand Wnt5a, is positively correlated with gastric cancer tumorigenesis and potential of liver metastasis.

RYK, a receptor of non-canonical Wnt ligand Wnt5a, is positively correlated with gastric cancer tumorigenesis and potential of liver metastasis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2019 Dec 23;: Authors: Fu Y, Chen Y, Huang J, Cai Z, Wang Y Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) is a most prevalent human cancer around the globe. In GC, Wnt signaling is deregulated, and receptor-like tyrosine kinase (RYK) co-receptors have been identified to interact with non-canonical Wnt ligand Wnt5a. We therefore aimed to evaluate the role of RYK in GC development and metastasis. GC tumor samples were collected from 250 GC patients. Expressions of RYK, as well as markers for the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) such as N-cadherin and E-cadherin were subjected to correlation analysis with clinicopathological features. Endogenous RYK expression levels were compared in GC cell lines with ascending metastatic potentials, followed by stable RYK knockdown. Effect of RYK knockdown on GC cell migration, invasion and EMT phenotype were assessed in vitro, and on GC tumor growth in vivo in a xenograft rodent model. Particularly, liver metastasis potential of tail vein injected GC cells was also analyzed following RYK knockdown. RYK was highly correlated with liver metastasis of GC tumors, and the expression profiles of EMT markers toward the mesenchymal tendency. RYK expression was also positively correlated with metastasis potential of GC cells. RYK knockd...
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol Source Type: research