Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40059806›Full record

ArticleJournal of biochemical and molecular toxicology2025

Molecular Mechanisms of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Promoting Gastric Cancer Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Through SERPINE-1 Expression.

Zhen Ma, Xiaolin Li, Shifeng Yang, Hao Yang, Ange Zhang, Nana Li, Xiaoming Zou

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zhen MaDepartment of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China.
Xiaolin LiDepartment of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China.
Shifeng YangDepartment of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China.
Hao YangDepartment of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China.
Ange ZhangDepartment of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China.
Nana LiDepartment of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China.
Xiaoming ZouDepartment of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin City, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-2294-3046

Funding

Transverse project: The role and molecular mechanism of neutrophil extrinsic trapping NETs (NETs) in epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of gastric cancer cells.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Gastric cancer remains a significant global health concern, with its progression and metastasis often associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This study investigated the role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in promoting gastric cancer EMT by regulating SERPINE-1 expression, which encodes plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect protein expression. Cell Counting Kit-8 was tested for cell proliferation ability using clones. The SERPINE-1 gene was knocked down using lentivirus. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the co-expression of proteins, and a Transwell assay and wound-healing assay were used to investigate the migration ability of cells. Experimental conclusions were verified in vivo using a nude mouse model. We first demonstrated overexpression of PAI-1 in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Subsequently, we found that NETs significantly enhanced the expression of EMT-related markers. These changes were accompanied by increases in cell invasion, migration, proliferation and tumour sphere formation. To further elucidate the mechanism, we employed lentivirus-mediated SERPINE-1 knockdown to reverse NET-induced EMT phenotype effectively. Mechanistically, we found that NETs activated the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signalling pathway via PAI-1 as evidenced by increased expression of TGF-β1, TGF-βR1, TGF-βR2, phosphorylated Smad2/3 and Smad4. Finally, in vivo experiments using a nude mouse model of gastric cancer liver metastasis confirmed that NET-treated HGC-27 cells exhibited enhanced metastatic potential and SERPINE-1 knockdown abrogated metastatic potential. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which NETs promote EMT and metastasis in gastric cancer via the PAI-1-TGF-β axis. PAI-1 can be used as a potential target for the treatment of gastric cancer, and the expression of PAI-1 is closely related to the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. Therapeutic strategies targeting NETs or PAI-1 may help prevent EMT and metastasis of gastric cancer and improve clinical outcomes in patients.

Indexed as

Epithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionExtracellular TrapsGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticNeoplasm ProteinsNeutrophilsPlasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1Stomach NeoplasmsAnimalsCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationHumansMaleMiceMice, NudeSignal TransductionNeoplasm ProteinsPlasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1SERPINE1 protein, humanepithelial–mesenchymal transitiongastric cancerneutrophil extracellular trapsSERPINE‐1

Identifiers

PMID40059806
PMCPMC11891821

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.