Intestinal metaplasia key molecules and UPP1 activation via Helicobacter pylori /NF-kB: drivers of malignant progression in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a significant global health challenge due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. The development of GC is a multi-hit process and the exploration of precancerous lesions is crucial. To elucidate the molecular and cellular dynamics underlying gastric carcinogenesis, we conducted an integrative single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of 26,028 high-quality cells from gastric antral mucosa biopsies across various stages, including non-atrophic gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and early gastric cancer. By constructing a detailed single-cell atlas, we identified distinct epithelial cell subpopulations and their corresponding molecular signatures. We focused on the biological link between gastric epithelial cells and cancer cells. Notably, we observed that gland mucous cells acquired an intestinal-like stem cell phenotype during metaplasia, with MUC6, MUC2 and OLFM4 emerging as the specific markers for unique endocrine cells in early malignant lesions. Additionally, our analysis highlighted UPP1 as a key oncogene, with its expression progressively increasing from normal epithelial cells to malignant cells. UPP1 upregulation was shown to promote GC cell proliferation and migration, implicating it in the oncogenic process. Further, we explored the impact of Helicobacter pylori infection on gene expression, revealing that Helicobacter pylori infection upregulates UPP1 via the NF-κB pathway. Our cell-cell communication analysis underscored the significant role of the Macrophage migration inhibitory factor pathway in the tumor microenvironment, contributing to GC progression. Various key molecules involved in intestinal metaplasia, along with UPP1 and the Macrophage migration inhibitory factor pathway, collectively illustrate the multifaceted nature and complexity of gastric cancer evolution, highlighting the cumulative impacts that drive tumorigenesis.