AUTHOR=Liu Yuanjie , Li Jiepin , Zeng Shuhong , Zhang Ying , Zhang Yonghua , Jin Zhichao , Liu Shenlin , Zou Xi 

TITLE=Bioinformatic Analyses and Experimental Verification Reveal that High FSTL3 Expression Promotes EMT via Fibronectin-1/α5β1 Interaction in Colorectal Cancer

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-biosciences/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2021.762924

DOI=10.3389/fmolb.2021.762924

ISSN=2296-889X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a typical cancer prevalent worldwide. Despite the conventional treatments, CRC has a poor prognosis due to relapse and metastasis. Moreover, there is a dearth of sensitive biomarkers for predicting prognosis in CRC.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> This study used a bioinformatics approach combining validation experiments to examine the value of follistatin-like 3 (<italic>FSTL3</italic>) as a prognostic predictor and therapeutic target in CRC.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold><italic>F</italic>STL3 was remarkably upregulated in the CRC samples. FSTL3 overexpression was significantly associated with a poor prognosis. FSTL3 was found to activate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition by promoting the binding of FN1 to α5β1. <italic>FSTL3</italic> expression was also positively correlated with the abundance of the potent immunosuppressors, M2 macrophages.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold><italic>FSTL3</italic> overexpression affects CRC prognosis and thus, <italic>FSTL3</italic> can be a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target with potential applications in CRC.</p>