IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON GENES, MIRNAS, AND TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK ANALYSIS FOR ENHANCED MANAGEMENT OF GASTRITIS AND STOMACH CANCER

Abstract

Gastritis is a condition marked by ongoing inflammation of the stomach lining. It is known to be a precursor to stomach cancer, or gastric carcinoma, which is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This happens mainly because the disease is often detected late and progresses slowly. The shift from chronic issues like atrophic gastritis to cancer involves genetic mutations, changes in gene expression, and disrupted signaling pathways. Identifying common molecular mechanisms is critical for precise treatment and early intervention. This study uses a network-based bioinformatics approach to identify shared genes, microRNAs (miRNAs), and transcription factors that connect gastritis and stomach cancer. This could help improve clinical management of these gastric diseases. We gathered genes related to gastritis and stomach tumors from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). We selected the top 200 genes for each condition based on inference scores and analyzed them to find overlaps.Using NetworkAnalyst 3.0, we built networks to explore gene-miRNA interactions, co-expression specific to stomach tissue, and transcription factor-gene relationships. This revealed pathways involved in inflammation (like NF-κB signaling), cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Key miRNAs affect groups of disease-related genes. Meanwhile, major transcription factors such as MYC, RELA, and STAT3 coordinate the shift from inflammation to cancer. These networks show strong connections and specific patterns related to the stomach.The findings highlight how gastritis can progress to cancer, suggesting that these regulators could serve as biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, and monitoring in at-risk individuals. Targeting these pathways could lead to timely interventions that prevent cancer transformation and improve patient outcomes through tailored diagnostics and treatments.