{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,2]],"date-time":"2026-11-02T22:50:18Z","timestamp":1793659818381,"version":"4.5.1"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]],"date-time":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763078400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"EU\u2019s NextGenerationEU"},{"name":"Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization","award":["760009\/30.12.2022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["760009\/30.12.2022"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization","award":["CF 14\/16.11.2022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CF 14\/16.11.2022"]}]},{"name":"Romanian Academy 2025"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality, with limited options for early detection and precision therapy. Collagen family members are increasingly recognized as key structural and regulatory components of the tumor microenvironment. Collagen type X alpha 1 chain (COL10A1) appears among the top overexpressed genes in GC and has been linked with tumorigenesis, but its functional role in GC has not been completely elucidated. The oncogenic potential of COL10A1 was assessed in vitro in GC cell lines using adenoviral-mediated overexpression. Functional assays were further performed to evaluate proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and epithelial\u2013mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Intracellular signaling alterations were analyzed by phosphokinase protein profiling and protein\u2013protein interaction network analysis. COL10A1 overexpression significantly increased proliferation and migration, while reducing GC cell apoptosis. It promotes EMT by up-regulating mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail\/Slug) and suppressing epithelial markers such as E-cadherin and \u03b2-catenin. Additionally, COL10A1 overexpression activated oncogenic signaling pathways, including the JNK and MAPK cascades, increasing proliferation and tumorigenic potential. Our results showed that COL10A1 functions as a driver for tumor progression by promoting proliferation, migration, and invasion along with EMT through activation of important oncogenic pathways. These findings highlight its biological role in tumor progression and contribute to a better understanding of GC pathogenesis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms262211043","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,14]],"date-time":"2025-11-14T16:46:22Z","timestamp":1763138782000},"page":"11043","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["COL10A1 Overexpression Promotes Gastric Cancer Aggressiveness Through EMT and Major Oncogenic Pathways"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Laura G.","family":"Necula","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Cellular and Molecular Pathology Department, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, 030304 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, 040441 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5868-2636","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Denisa L.","family":"Dragu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cellular and Molecular Pathology Department, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, 030304 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4479-655X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lilia","family":"Matei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cellular and Molecular Pathology Department, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, 030304 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7440-9798","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioana","family":"Pitica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cellular and Molecular Pathology Department, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, 030304 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5275-8938","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simona O.","family":"Dima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 020021 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Center of Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 020021 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9031-338X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Coralia","family":"Bleotu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cellular and Molecular Pathology Department, Stefan S. 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