Exploring the molecular landscape of Gastric Cancer (GC) patients to identify prospective targeted therapy options.

Abstract

Gastric adenocarcinoma is regarded as one of the primary causes of cancer-related fatalities around the globe. Despite the heterogeneity of gastric cancer (GC), treatment remains limited to surgery and cytotoxic chemotherapy, with targeted therapies such as HER2 and VEGFR2 inhibitors that provide advantages to just a limited group of patients (10–40%) (Bass, A. J., et al. 2014). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) identifies TP53 mutations as the most frequent genomic alterations in GC, particularly hotspot mutations (R273H, R248Q/W, R175H), which drive tumour progression and therapy resistance. Also, HER2 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients . However, the link between mutant p53 and targetable oncogenic pathways, particularly HER2, remains poorly understood. This study aims to explore the functional link between mutant p53 and HER2 in Gastric cancer cell lines in Indian patients, providing insights for improved therapeutic strategies.