Novel role of ANXA8 as a biomarker in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly prevalent and lethal malignancy worldwide. Its pathogenesis remains poorly understood, and the lack of effective diagnostic and therapeutic targets poses significant challenges to improving patient prognosis. As a member of the annexin protein family, annexin A8 (ANXA8) participates in diverse cellular processes. However, its role in gastric cancer-including expression patterns, functional significance, and prognostic value-remains unclear. This study aims to explore these aspects of ANXA8 in gastric cancer. Expression data and clinical information for gastric cancer were sourced from the TCGA database. Differential expression analysis was performed using the edgeR package in R software, and the prognostic significance of ANXA8 was assessed via univariate Cox regression analysis. Validation was conducted using gastric cancer tissue samples collected from patients at the First People's Hospital of Lanzhou. Simultaneously, GES-1, MKN28, HGC-27, AGS, and MKN45 cell lines were cultured. RNA extraction, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, shRNA/plasmid manipulation, and various cellular experimental techniques were employed to investigate ANXA8 function in gastric cancer cells. Compared to adjacent normal tissue and the normal gastric mucosal cell line GES-1, ANXA8 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Survival analysis revealed poorer prognosis in patients with high ANXA8 expression, and univariate Cox models confirmed its role as a prognostic risk factor. Functional experiments demonstrated that ANXA8 knockdown inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while ANXA8 overexpression promoted these capabilities. This study reveals that ANXA8 is upregulated in gastric cancer, correlates with poor patient prognosis, and plays a key role in regulating malignant behavior of gastric cancer cells. The findings suggest ANXA8 has potential as a biomarker for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis assessment in gastric cancer patients, though further research is needed to elucidate its specific molecular mechanisms.