The serine protease CORIN promotes progression of gastric cancer by mediating the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway

Abstract The serine protease CORIN catalyzes pro‐atrial natriuretic peptide (pro‐ANP) into an active ANP and maintains homeostasis of the internal environment. However, it is unclear whether CORIN participates in the regulation of tumor progression. We analyzed the expression profile of CORIN in gastric cancer tissues (GCs) and adjacent nontumoral tissues (NTs). We investigated the prognostic value of CORIN in GC patients. We characterized the in vitro and in vivo activity of CORIN in cultured GC cells with gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function experiments. The underlying mechanism was explored by using bioinformatics, a signaling antibody array, and confirmative western blot analyses, as well as rescue experiments with highly selective small‐molecule inhibitors targeting the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway. CORIN was upregulated in GCs than in NTs. Overexpression of CORIN was correlated with unfavorable prognoses in patients with GC. Ectopic expression of CORIN was promoted, whereas silencing of CORIN suppressed proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of GC cells, and tumor growth in vivo. Overexpression of CORIN‐induced epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and activation of the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway, while silencing of CORIN yielded opposite results. The in vitro tumor‐promoting potency of CORIN could be antagonized by selective inhibitors targeting the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway. In conclusion, CORIN is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for GC patients, which may promote tumor progression by mediating the ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway and EMT in GC cells.