DcR3 combined with hematological traits serves as a valuable biomarker for the diagnosis of cancer metastasis

Circulating Proteins as Diagnostic Markers in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly malignant disease affecting humans worldwide and has a poor prognosis. Most GC cases are detected at advanced stages due to the cancer lacking early detectable symptoms. Therefore, there is great interest in improving early diagnosis by implementing targeted prevention strategies. Markers are necessary for early detection and to guide clinicians to the best personalized treatment. The current semi-invasive endoscopic methods to detect GC are invasive, costly, and time-consuming. Recent advances in proteomics technologies have enabled the screening of many samples and the detection of novel biomarkers and disease-related signature signaling networks. These biomarkers include circulating proteins from different fluids (e.g., plasma, serum, urine, and saliva) and extracellular vesicles. We review relevant published studies on circulating protein biomarkers in GC and detail their application as potential biomarkers for GC diagnosis. Identifying highly sensitive and highly specific diagnostic markers for GC may improve patient survival rates and contribute to advancing precision/personalized medicine.

DcR3 promotes proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer via a DcR3/STAT1/IRF1 feedback loop

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal malignancies that are highly aggressive with a low 5-year survival rate. Accumulated evidence has indicated that decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) is involved in several pathologic processes and various cancers. However, the mechanisms underlying dysregulated DcR3 expression and activation in PC remain to be fully established. In this study, we investigate the function and regulatory network of DcR3 in PC. We found that DcR3 was upregulated in PC tissues and serum. High DcR3 expression was associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and poor prognosis. Functionally, DcR3 not only increased cell migration and invasion in vitro but also promoted tumour growth both in vitro and in vivo by loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments. Mechanistically, DcR3 promoted the phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1), leading to a dramatic increase in interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1). IRF1 then increased the transcriptional activity of DcR3, forming a positive feedback loop to reinforce DcR3 expression. In addition, DcR3 promoted carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) expression through activated IRF1. In conclusion, our findings provided novel insights into the function and mechanism of DcR3 in the pathogenesis of PC, which may be a potential therapeutic target for PC.