Elevated Expression of EphA10 in Gastric Cancer Tissues: A Potential Biomarker for Tumor Metastasis and Poor Survival

Ephrin type-A receptor 10 (EphA10) is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in certain cancers.The expression profile and function of EphA10 in gastric cancer (GC) have not been well studied.The present study aimed to evaluate EphA10 expression and its clinicopathological significance in gastric cancer.Data from TCGA /GEPIA database were used to assess EphA10 mRNA expression in GC.EphA10 expression in GC tissues was analyzed via IHC to validate these findings.CCK8, flow cytometry, and Transwell migration assays were used to evaluate EphA10 functions.In addition, we investigated EphA10-linked immune infiltration and performed transcriptomic analysis of RNA-seq data to identify EphA10-associated DEGs and enriched pathways.Western blot analysis was performed to detect epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and PI3K/AKT pathway proteins following EphA10 knockdown and overexpression.EphA10 expression is significantly increased in GC tissues.High EphA10 expression was strongly associated with lymphatic metastasis, advanced TNM stage, and poor survival.The overexpression of EphA10 in GC cells promoted proliferation and migration and inhibited apoptosis.Enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes between the EphA10 high-and low-expression groups revealed that these genes are involved in digestion and absorption, transcription regulation, and inflammatory responses.TIMER database analysis revealed that EphA10 expression was significantly associated with immune cell infiltration.Moreover, EphA10 promotes gastric cancer cell aggressiveness and EMT via PI3K/AKT activation.EphA10 overexpression in gastric cancer correlates with metastasis, advanced TNM stage and poor prognosis, highlighting its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target.