Role of the PEBP4 protein in the development and metastasis of gastric cancer

Phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 4 (PEBP4) has previously been reported to be upregulated in various cancers. However, the physiological functions of PEBP4 in gastric cancer are still unknown. Aiming to clarify the properties and role of PEBP4 in the development and invasion of gastric cancer, we performed several biological assays and a knockdown assay. The expression level of PEBP4 was shown to be significantly upregulated in gastric cancer tissue samples, and knockdown of the expression of PEBP4 induced significant inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness. In addition, it was demonstrated that PEBP4 was associated with the development and invasion of gastric cancer cells through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our findings supported the hypothesis that PEBP4 might be a novel potential drug target for the treatment of gastric cancer.