NEK7 Promotes Gastric Cancer Progression as a Cell Proliferation Regulator

Abstract

\n Background: Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of alimentary canal. However, its targeted therapy develops at a slow pace. Thus, exploring the mechanism of gastric cancer cells’ malignant behavior is of crucial importance to its therapeutic method exploitation. Mammalian NIMA-related kinases are considered to play a significant role in cell proliferation. However, NIMA family proteins have not been reported in gastric cancer yet. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was used to clarify the expression patterns of NEK1-NEK11 and their effects on prognosis. We also analyzed the effect on immune infiltration and related pathways of NEK7. At cell level, EdU assay, cell cycle assay and CCK-8 assay were utilized to clarify the NEK7 effect on gastric cancer cell proliferation. Mice subcutaneous model revealed the regulating effect on gastric cancer cell proliferation of NEK7 in vivo. Results: Bioinformatics analysis revealed that NEK7 upregulates in gastric cancer and is related to poor prognosis. Meanwhile, NEK7 is related to T-stage, which has closely related to cell proliferation. Further analysis showed that NEK7 has correlation with multiple immune cells infiltration as well as related pathways of gastric cancer. Cell experiments indicated the promoting effect of NEK7 to cell proliferation, while lack of NEK7 could result in gastric cancer proliferation inhibition and G1/S arrest. Conclusion: NEK7 exert the regulatory effect during cell proliferation and is closely related to tumor immune infiltration