Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a type of cellular adaptor protein and transcriptional co-activator. In recent years, some investigators have found YAP to be overexpressed and highly activated in hepatic cancers and mammary cancers, suggesting its tumorigenicity. Survivin is a new member of the inhibitor of apoptotic protein (IAP) family, which was initially cloned by the cDNA of the effector cell protease receptor-1 in the human genomic library in 1997.

A research team led by Professor Yan Xin, from The Fourth Laboratory of Cancer Institute in China measured the expression of YAP and survivin in normal gastric mucosa, precancerous lesions and gastric carcinoma using an immunohistochemical method to analyze the significance and correlations of the 2 factors with gastric carcinogenesis. Their study will be published on August 28, 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

The investigation found that the expression of YAP and survivin in gastric carcinoma were positively correlated, and according to the data, they speculated that YAP might induce a high expression of cell proliferation-related factors and apoptotic inhibitors, such as Ki67, cIAP1 and survivin. Survivin might participate in gastric carcinogenesis, progression and metastasis by inhibiting apoptosis of gastric carcinoma cells and regulating cellular mitosis. Whether YAP and survivin collaborate to contribute to gastric carcinogenesis and progression requires further study.

Reference
Da CL, Xin Y, Zhao J, Luo XD. Significance and relationship between Yes-associated protein and survivin expression in gastric carcinoma and precancerous lesions. World J Gastroenterol 2009; 15(32): 4055-4061

Correspondence to
Yan Xin, Professor, The Fourth Laboratory of Cancer Institute, Department of Tumor Pathology of General Surgery Institute, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, Liaoning Province, China.

About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2008 IF: 2.081. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.

Lai-Fu Li
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World Journal of Gastroenterology