Abstract
This study elucidates the mechanism by which GLIS Family Zinc Finger 2 (GLIS2) promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in gastric cancer through biglycan (BGN) activation and Wnt/β-catenin stimulation. By analyzing 18 pairs of GC tissues and establishing in vitro models (combining GLIS2 knockdown/BGN overexpression with Wnt pathway modulators), we demonstrated that GLIS2 directly binds to the BGN promoter to enhance its transcription, thereby activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling and significantly promoting GC cell migration, invasion, and EMT. Functional rescue experiments confirmed that BGN overexpression reverses the inhibitory effects of GLIS2 knockdown, while the Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor XAV-939 effectively blocks BGN's tumor-promoting effects. These findings establish the crucial role of the GLIS2-BGN-Wnt/β-catenin axis in regulating GC EMT and identify novel potential therapeutic targets for GC treatment.