Gu YC, Li X, Zhao YJ, Wu T, Zhou CG, Hu WL, Fu ZW, Huang JH, Ren ZY. Yin Yang 1-associated protein 1: Clinical significance and underlying functional mechanisms in gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(21): 116527 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i21.116527]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Ying-Chao Gu, Department of General Surgery, Dazhou Dachuan District People’s Hospital (Dazhou Third People’s Hospital), No. 700 Hanxing North Street, Sanliping Street, Dachuan District, Dazhou 635711, Sichuan Province, China. guyingchao2@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
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research-article
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Gu YC, Li X, Zhao YJ, Wu T, Zhou CG, Hu WL, Fu ZW, Huang JH, Ren ZY. Yin Yang 1-associated protein 1: Clinical significance and underlying functional mechanisms in gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(21): 116527 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i21.116527]
Ying-Chao Gu, Xin Li, Yuan-Jun Zhao, Tao Wu, Cheng-Guo Zhou, Wen-Liang Hu, Zhi-Wei Fu, Jian-Hao Huang, Zi-Yang Ren, Department of General Surgery, Dazhou Dachuan District People’s Hospital (Dazhou Third People’s Hospital), Dazhou 635711, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Gu YC initiated research, responsible for the study concepts, design, definition of intellectual content, as well as manuscript preparation and editing; Zhou CG conducted the literature research; Gu YC, Li X, Zhao YJ, and Wu T carried out the clinical studies, while Ren ZY performed the experimental studies; Huang JH was in charge of data acquisition; Fu ZW handled data analysis; Hu WL conducted statistical analysis; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: We can ensure that no artificial intelligence tools are used throughout the entire process of manuscript writing, editing, and figure creation.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Dazhou Dachuan District People’s Hospital (Dazhou Third People’s Hospital).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
Corresponding author: Ying-Chao Gu, Department of General Surgery, Dazhou Dachuan District People’s Hospital (Dazhou Third People’s Hospital), No. 700 Hanxing North Street, Sanliping Street, Dachuan District, Dazhou 635711, Sichuan Province, China. guyingchao2@163.com
Received: November 18, 2025 Revised: December 17, 2025 Accepted: February 10, 2026 Published online: June 7, 2026 Processing time: 188 Days and 21.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Gastric adenocarcinoma remains a lethal malignancy with limited prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Yin Yang 1-associated protein 1 (YY1AP1) is a regulatory partner of Yin Yang 1, which has emerged as a protein of interest in the context of various biological processes and diseases. This study aimed to investigate the role of YY1AP1 in gastric adenocarcinoma.
AIM
To investigate the clinical significance and functional role of YY1AP1 in gastric adenocarcinoma and evaluate its potential as an independent prognostic biomarker.
METHODS
A total of 118 paraffin-embedded and 29 fresh gastric adenocarcinoma samples were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess YY1AP1 expression and categorize samples into YY1AP1 high-expression group and YY1AP1 low-expression group. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed on fresh samples to measure mRNA levels. Online datasets were used to independently validate prognostic value. MKN45 cells were subjected to YY1AP1 overexpression and knockdown; analyzed for p21, c-myc, and snail; and assessed for proliferation and migration.
RESULTS
YY1AP1 was upregulated in tumor tissues. High YY1AP1 expression was correlated with decreased p21 levels and increased c-myc and snail levels. In vitro, YY1AP1 overexpression in MKN45 cells resulted in reduced p21 expression and enhanced c-myc and snail expression, concomitant with increased cell proliferation and migration. Conversely, YY1AP1 knockdown exhibited the opposite effects. Clinically, elevated YY1AP1 levels signify poor prognosis in our cohort and online dataset.
CONCLUSION
YY1AP1 significantly influences the pathogenesis of gastric adenocarcinoma by modulating key cancer-related pathways. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of YY1AP1 as an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer. The expression of YY1AP1 is correlated with aggressive tumor behavior, highlighting its potential as a prognostic biomarker and a target for therapeutic intervention.
Core Tip: This study identifies Yin Yang 1-associated protein 1 (YY1AP1) as an independent prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer. We demonstrate that high YY1AP1 expression, linked to tumor progression and poor survival, promotes cancer cell proliferation and migration by modulating p21, c-myc, and snail pathways. These findings highlight YY1AP1’s potential as both a therapeutic target and a tool for risk stratification.
