TRPM8 as a Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Gastric Cancer Identified by a Combination of Text Mining and RNA Sequencing

Introduction: Gastric cancer is a well-known malignant tumor that causes millions of deaths worldwide every year. Due to the lack of a specific biomarker for gastric cancer, most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease which results in a poor prognosis and a higher death rate. Therefore, novel biomarkers are urgently needed for early diagnosis and to improve the survival rate. Methods: In this study, we conducted RNA sequencing of tumor samples from 21 patients with gastric cancer. A total of 3192 differentially expressed genes (1589 up-regulated and 1603 down-regulated) were identified. Subsequently, we applied a text-mining algorithm for further analysis of these data and selected 30 representative genes to investigate as candidates for novel biomarkers in gastric cancer. Results: Among these genes, we confirmed transient receptor potential melastatin 8 channels (TRPM8) as a novel biomarker based on Western blot and immunochemistry validation performed on 134 samples. Compared to normal gastric tissue, the tumor tissues exhibited a significantly higher expression level of TRPM8. Conclusion: This study provides insights into the underlying role of TRPM8 in cell proliferation. In addition, TRPM8 may be used as a potential therapeutic target for patients with gastric cancer.