Background-Objective:Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer (GC). Understanding the molecular characteristics of CAFs-associated genes (CAFGs) is essential for elucidating their role in tumor progression and prognosis. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on CAFGs, highlighting their expression patterns, prognostic significance, and potential functional mechanisms.Methods:A comprehensive review of existing literature was conducted, focusing on molecular features of CAFGs in GC. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses were examined to assess the expression patterns of CAFGs in broad-sense CAFs, which include both CAFs and pericytes. Additionally, clinicopathological studies validating the prognostic significance of CAFGs were reviewed.Results:ScRNA-seq analyses revealed that CAFGs are not necessarily restricted to CAFs alone but may also reflect the activation status of surrounding cells. Several CAFGs, includingSPARC,THBS2,COL1A1,COL3A1,INHBA,PDGFC, andSDC2, have been validated for their prognostic relevance in GC. However, compared with other cancers, the functional mechanisms of these genes in GC remain poorly understood. While CAFGs exhibit synchronized expression withTGFB1in colorectal cancer (CRC), such patterns have yet to be confirmed in GC due to the limitations of available microdissected data.Conclusions:A comprehensive understanding of CAFGs and their interaction with the TGFB pathway, including LTBP family genes, may be critical for developing novel therapeutic strategies for GC. Further research is needed to elucidate their functional mechanisms and therapeutic potential.
背景与目的：癌症相关成纤维细胞（CAFs）在胃癌肿瘤微环境中发挥关键作用。理解CAFs相关基因（CAFGs）的分子特征对于阐明其在肿瘤进展和预后中的作用至关重要。本综述旨在总结当前关于CAFGs的研究进展，重点阐述其表达模式、预后意义及潜在功能机制。 方法：系统回顾现有文献，聚焦胃癌中CAFGs的分子特征。通过单细胞RNA测序（scRNA-seq）分析评估广义CAFs（包括CAFs和周细胞）中CAFGs的表达模式，并综述验证CAFGs预后意义的临床病理学研究。 结果：scRNA-seq分析显示，CAFGs的表达不仅限于CAFs，还可能反映周围细胞的活化状态。包括SPARC、THBS2、COL1A1、COL3A1、INHBA、PDGFC和SDC2在内的多个CAFGs已被证实与胃癌预后相关。然而，与其他癌症相比，这些基因在胃癌中的功能机制仍不清楚。虽然CAFGs在结直肠癌中与TGFB1呈现同步表达，但由于现有显微切割数据的局限性，该模式在胃癌中尚未得到证实。 结论：全面理解CAFGs及其与TGFB通路（包括LTBP家族基因）的相互作用，可能对开发胃癌新型治疗策略至关重要。未来需进一步研究以阐明其功能机制和治疗潜力。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家