MerTK is a Novel Therapeutic Target in Gastric Cancer

Overview

Journal Oncotarget

Specialty Oncology

Date 2017 Dec 13

PMID 29228560

Citations 19

Authors

Jun Ho Yi

Jiryeon Jang

Jeonghee Cho

In-Gu Do

Mineui Hong

Seung Tae Kim

Kyoung-Mee Kim

Sujin Lee

Se Hoon Park

Joon Oh Park

Young Suk Park

Won Ki Kang

Ho Yeong Lim

Jeeyun Lee

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: The role of MerTK has not been assessed in gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this study was to identify a subgroup of GC patients with MerTK tumor overexpression, and to evaluate MerTK as a potential therapeutic target in this disease.

Methods: Protein and mRNA expression of MerTK were evaluated, and other various analyses including shRNA transfection, cell cycle anslysis, MTS assay and colony forming assay were carried out with GC cell lines and GC patient-derived cells (PDCs).

Results: shRNA-mediated knockdown of MerTK resulted in inhibition of cell growth, as well as increased cellular apoptosis in MerTK positive GC cells. Out of 192 GC patients, 16 (8.3%) patients showed strong protein expression and they had a significantly shorter overall survival compared to those with no MerTK expression. In 54 cases of GC PDCs, 4 cases (7.4%) showed mRNA overexpression, which was comparable to the protein expression rate. When we administered UNC1062, a novel MerTK-selective small molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitor, proliferation of MerTK overexpressing GC cells and PDCs were considerably inhibited.

Conclusion: MerTK may be involved in GC carcinogenesis, and it could be a potential novel therapeutic target in GC patients.

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