RARB associated with MSI, affects progression and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) has been widely acknowledged as an important factor regulating tumor intrinsic biological behavior and affecting the survival of gastric cancer patients. Here, we firstly identified the RARB as a gene associated with MSI gastric cancer. RARB was downregulated in human gastric cancer tissues compared to paired paracancerous tissues, Knockdown of RARB accelerated the proliferation, invasion and migration of cancer cells in vitro. Mechanismly, RARB knockdown promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of gastric cancer. However, RARB patients exhibited better survival compared to RARB patients. Further study revealed that RARB expression was inversely correlated with MSI status and immune infiltrates in vivo. Thus, RARB may be a potential target for the treatment of gastric cancer.