The role of the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis and its clinical implications in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Despite the extensive body of research on gastric cancer, the prognosis of patients with advanced gastric cancer remains poor, and therapy for advanced gastric cancer relies largely on cytotoxic chemotherapy. Therefore, identifying the distinct molecular pathways underlying disease progression and treatment resistance may lead to novel therapeutic approaches, as well as improve the quality of life and survival of patients. The chemokine CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 are now known to play an important role in cancer development and progression. Here, we review the expression and function of CXCR4 and CXCL12, as well as their clinical relevance in gastric cancer. We also cover the current molecular mechanism, specifically the cell-signaling pathway, by which gastric cancer progresses through the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis, and discuss the potential of that axis as a therapeutic target in the treatment of gastric cancer.