Molecular insights into ANPEP in gastric adenocarcinoma.

Authors

Taíssa Maíra Thomaz Araújo, Bianca de Fátima Dos Reis Rodrigues, Jessica Manoelli Costa da Silva, Myrth Soares do Nascimento Remígio, Fabiano Cordeiro Moreira, Samir Mansour Moares Casseb, Williams Fernandes Barra, Geraldo Ishak, Ana Karyssa Mendes Anaissi, Leandro Magalhães, Amanda Vidal, Ronald Matheus da Silva Mourão, Eliel Barbosa Teixeira, Diego Pereira, Valéria Cristiane Santos da Silva, Daniel de Souza Avelar, Rubem Ferreira Silva, Ândrea Kely Ribeiro Dos Santos, Samia Demachki, Livia Erika Carlos Marques, Rommel Rodriguez Burbano, Paulo Pimentel de Assumpção

Published in

Genetics and molecular biology. Volume 49Suppl 4. Issue Suppl 4. Pages e20250110. Epub Jul 20, 2026.

Abstract

Alanyl aminopeptidase (ANPEP) has been implicated in various cancers, but its specific role in gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) remains incompletely understood. This study analyzed ANPEP gene expression in gastric cancer (GC), peritumoral tissue (PTT), metaplasia (M), and normal tissue (N). Total RNA was extracted, libraries were prepared and sequenced on the Illumina NextSeq 500. Data were processed using the nf-core/rnaseq pipeline. Transcript quantifications were imported with tximport and normalized using DESeq2. Differential expression (|log₂FC| > 1; adj. p < 0.05) and Kruskal-Wallis tests identified key genes. ANPEP was significantly upregulated in GC, PTT, and M compared to normal tissue (p < 0.01), suggesting its involvement in early mucosal transformation and malignant progression. Heatmap and pathway enrichment analysis revealed upregulation of genes related to immune function and oxidative stress, indicating an immunosuppressive and apoptosis-resistant tumor microenvironment. Correlation analyses identified strong positive associations between ANPEP and genes involved in cytoskeletal remodeling, immune modulation, and metabolic regulation, suggesting that ANPEP supports both the invasive potential of tumor cells and the establishment of an immunosuppressive, therapy-resistant niche. These findings position ANPEP as a promising biomarker for early detection and a candidate for targeted therapies.

PMID:
42475731
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 21 Jul 2026.

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