ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Advances in the Molecular Pathogenesis of Gastrointestinal Malignancies with Implications for Diagnosis and Therapy

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1370

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, 030304 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: cancer cell signaling; targeted anti-cancer therapy; immunotherapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gastrointestinal cancers, including colorectal, gastric, esophageal, pancreatic, and liver cancers, represent a major medical and economic burden worldwide, accounting for more than one-fourth of all cancer cases and one-third of cancer-related mortality. Although there has been much progress in screening colorectal cancer, the prognosis of other gastrointestinal cancers tends to be poor. Their worse prognosis is often due to the late onset of symptoms, diagnosis at advanced stages, and challenges in treatment. These cancers are characterized by critical genetic and epigenetic alterations, such as mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, as well as dysregulation of key signalling pathways. The influence of the tumor microenvironment on cancer progression also contributes to therapeutic resistance. The aim of this Special Issue is to present new findings related to the molecular pathogenesis of gastrointestinal malignancies. We welcome both original research articles and comprehensive reviews focusing on emerging molecular biomarkers and potential clinical utility in early detection, prognosis, and the development of targeted therapies for these cancers.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Laura Necula
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gastrointestinal cancers
  • biomarkers
  • early diagnosis
  • circulating molecules
  • non-invasive tests

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 1699 KB  
Article
COL10A1 Overexpression Promotes Gastric Cancer Aggressiveness Through EMT and Major Oncogenic Pathways
by Laura G. Necula, Denisa L. Dragu, Lilia Matei, Ioana Pitica, Simona O. Dima, Coralia Bleotu, Carmen C. Diaconu and Mihaela Chivu-Economescu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(22), 11043; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262211043 - 14 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1033
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality, with limited options for early detection and precision therapy. Collagen family members are increasingly recognized as key structural and regulatory components of the tumor microenvironment. Collagen type X alpha 1 chain (COL10A1 [...] Read more.
Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality, with limited options for early detection and precision therapy. Collagen family members are increasingly recognized as key structural and regulatory components of the tumor microenvironment. Collagen type X alpha 1 chain (COL10A1) appears among the top overexpressed genes in GC and has been linked with tumorigenesis, but its functional role in GC has not been completely elucidated. The oncogenic potential of COL10A1 was assessed in vitro in GC cell lines using adenoviral-mediated overexpression. Functional assays were further performed to evaluate proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Intracellular signaling alterations were analyzed by phosphokinase protein profiling and protein–protein interaction network analysis. COL10A1 overexpression significantly increased proliferation and migration, while reducing GC cell apoptosis. It promotes EMT by up-regulating mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail/Slug) and suppressing epithelial markers such as E-cadherin and β-catenin. Additionally, COL10A1 overexpression activated oncogenic signaling pathways, including the JNK and MAPK cascades, increasing proliferation and tumorigenic potential. Our results showed that COL10A1 functions as a driver for tumor progression by promoting proliferation, migration, and invasion along with EMT through activation of important oncogenic pathways. These findings highlight its biological role in tumor progression and contribute to a better understanding of GC pathogenesis. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop