“…Meanwhile, our study found that SP1 could inhibit the mRNA and protein expression of proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion-related genes SOX4, ZEB2, MMP9, Snail, and Slug, which are all downstream molecules of TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway [17,18]. SOX4, a member of the C-subfamily of SOX transcription factors, promotes tumorigenesis by enabling cancer cells to survive, migrate, and invade [19]; MMP9, a member of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, plays an important role in tumor migration and invasion, angiogenesis, and apoptosis [20]; the transcription factors Snail and Slug are important molecules in the EMT process, which can promote tumor invasion and metastasis, and facilitate cell survival by regulating the cell cycle and apoptosis [21,22]. erefore, we suggest that SP1 regulates the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells by inhibiting the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway and the expression of downstream molecules Sox4, Zeb2, Mmp9, Snail, and Slug (Figure 8).…”