Cadherin dysregulation in gastric cancer: insights into gene expression, pathways, and prognosis

BACKGROUND: The Cadherin gene family holds immense significance in maintaining the integrity and functionality of stomach tissues, playing crucial roles in cell-cell adhesion, cell migration and differentiation. Dysregulation of cadherin expression and function has been closely associated with various gastric diseases, particularly gastric cancer (GC). Understanding the regulation and clinical implications of cadherin genes in GC is essential to improve our knowledge and to identify new potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets. METHODS: In this study, we provide an overview on the role of cadherin family genes in GC using bioinformatics analysis. We analyzed the expression, mutational status, and prognostic value of these genes based on available public datasets. Our methodology involved data mining, differential expression analysis, functional enrichment analysis, and survival analysis to explore the association between cadherin gene expression and clinical outcomes in GC patients. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between cadherin expression and immune cell infiltration to gain insights into the tumor microenvironment’s role in GC progression. RESULTS: Our bioinformatics analysis revealed significant differential expression of 16 cadherin genes in GC samples compared to normal tissues. Approximately up to 52% of the analyzed cancer samples exhibited genomic alterations in these cadherins, indicating their potential relevance in GC development. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that these differentially expressed cadherins were closely associated with critical cellular processes, including cell adhesion and immune-modulation. Remarkably, lower expression levels of most cadherin genes were linked to improved prognosis in GC patients, suggesting their potential importance as valuable prognostic biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: The findings deriving from our comprehensive study provide important insights into the dysregulation of cadherin genes in GC and their impact on gene expression, molecular pathways, and prognosis. The associations with clinical outcomes and immune cell infiltration highlight the potential role of cadherin genes as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in GC.