Decoding intratumoral cyclooxygenase-2 signaling through multi-omics: insights from esophageal cancer and beyond.

ABSTRACT: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an enzyme involved in prostaglandin synthesis, was significantly upregulated in various cancers, including esophageal cancer (ESCA). This study investigated the role of COX-2 in cancer progression and its potential as a therapeutic target, utilizing multi-omics approaches, including single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, protein docking analysis and experimental validation. We found that COX-2 expression was significantly elevated in ESCA and other cancers, correlating with malignant phenotype and poor prognosis. Enrichment analyses revealed that COX-2 was involved in key oncogenic signaling pathways, including TNF/NF-κB and IL-17, which promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, COX-2 facilitated a pro-inflammatory microenvi

SUBMITTER: Zhuang XY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12628407 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature