Tight junction proteins: Gatekeepers turned facilitators in the pathogenesis of gastric adenocarcinoma

Figure 1 Factors contributing to the initiation and progression of gastric adenocarcinoma and metastasis. Oxidative stress, free radical induced injury, and Helicobacter pylori infection can trigger chronic inflammation, which in turn causes persistent DNA damage and activates multiple oncogenic pathways that drive carcinogenesis. Moreover, chronic inflammation and ulcer formation can disrupt the balance of gut microbiota, leading to dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability (‘leaky gut’). This dysregulated microenvironment further promotes epithelial mesenchymal transition, thereby facilitating gastric cancer progression and metastasis. H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori.