Title:TRPM8 as a Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Gastric
Cancer Identified by a Combination of Text Mining and RNA Sequencing
Volume: 23
Issue: 5
Author(s): Na Kong, Wendong Li, Jun Zhang, Xin Wang, Lin Hu and Qiqi Xu*
Affiliation:
- Department of General Surgery at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Peking University, Beijing, China
Keywords:
TRPM8, gastric cancer, proliferation, text mining, biomarker, oncogenes.
Abstract:
Introduction: Gastric cancer is a well-known malignant tumor that causes millions of
deaths worldwide every year. Due to the lack of a specific biomarker for gastric cancer, most patients
are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease which results in a poor prognosis and a higher death
rate. Therefore, novel biomarkers are urgently needed for early diagnosis and to improve the survival
rate.
Methods: In this study, we conducted RNA sequencing of tumor samples from 21 patients with gastric
cancer. A total of 3192 differentially expressed genes (1589 up-regulated and 1603 down-regulated)
were identified. Subsequently, we applied a text-mining algorithm for further analysis of these data
and selected 30 representative genes to investigate as candidates for novel biomarkers in gastric cancer.
Results: Among these genes, we confirmed transient receptor potential melastatin 8 channels
(TRPM8) as a novel biomarker based on Western blot and immunochemistry validation performed on
134 samples. Compared to normal gastric tissue, the tumor tissues exhibited a significantly higher expression
level of TRPM8.
Conclusion: This study provides insights into the underlying role of TRPM8 in cell proliferation. In
addition, TRPM8 may be used as a potential therapeutic target for patients with gastric cancer.
