Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promotes gastric cancer invasion through cooperating with c-Myc to upregulate heparanase expression.

ABSTRACT: Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is a central regulator of multiple hallmarks of tumors. However, the potential roles of hTERT in tumor invasion and metastasis and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we found that the expression of hTERT in gastric cancer (GC) was significantly associated with an advanced TNM stage, lymphatic metastasis. Survival analysis identified hTERT as an independent prognostic factor for survival of GC patients. hTERT promoted the invasion and metastasis of GC cells by binding to c-Myc and recruiting the complex to heparanase promoter to upregulate heparanase expression. In addition, our data demonstrated that hTERT activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling to promote c-Myc expression which could in turn activate hTERT transcri

SUBMITTER: Tang B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4905479 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature