Introduction: Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) binds to many ligands and co-receptors and affects cell survival and migration, which is essential for tumor progression. However, there are still largely unknowns about how NRP1 affects the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related malignant progression in gastric cancer.
Methods: We used TCGA to analyze the expression of NRP1 in gastric cancer and its impact on patient survival. In in vitro experiments, transwell, wound healing and colony formation assays were used to evaluate the effects of NRP1 and ginsenoside Rg3 on the invasion, migration and proliferation of gastric cancer cells. In in vivo experiments, we evaluated the overexpression and knockdown of NRP1 and the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on tumor growth.
Results: We found that NRP1 is highly expressed in advanced gastric cancer and associated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of NRP1 expression can inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer cells. Mechanically. NRP1 interacts with fibronectin-1 (FN1) to promote the malignant progression of gastric cancer cells through ECM remodeling. In addition, we found that ginsenoside Rg3 can block the interaction of NRP1 and FN1 and inhibit the progression of gastric cancer.
Conclusion: Our study suggested that the interaction of NRP1 and FN1 is crucial for the malignant progression of gastric cancer. This may provide a new perspective and potential treatment methods for the treatment of gastric cancer.
Keywords: gastric cancer, neuropilin-1, fibronectin-1, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, ginsenoside Rg3