Stathmin is a potential molecular marker and target for the treatment of gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE This study is to investigate the expression levels of stathmin in tissues of gastric cancer, and evaluate the therapeutic effects of stathmin antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ASODN) and/or docetaxel in human gastric cancer cells. METHODS Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression levels of stathmin in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues. Stathmin ASODN was transfected into gastric cancer SGC 7901 cell lines. The cell proliferation was assessed with the MTT assay, and the inhibitory rates were calculated. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of stathmin, respectively. The synergistic effects of stathmin ASODN and docetaxel were evaluated. The efficacy and clinical benefit rates of the treatment of docetaxel combined with stathmin evaluation were investigated and compared. RESULTS Our results showed that the expression of stathmin was elevated in gastric cancer tissues, indicating a possible association between the stathmin expression and the disease occurrence. The MTT assay and tumor growth experiment revealed that stathmin ASODN significantly inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, stathmin ASDON enhanced the inhibitory effects of docetaxel on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, indicating a synergistic effect for the combination treatment. Importantly, docetaxel treatment was more effective for stathmin-negative gastric cancer patients, compared with stathmin-positive patients. CONCLUSION Stathmin expression provides evidence for the treatment planning for gastric cancers. Stathmin might be a potential molecular marker and target for the treatment of gastric cancer.