Based on our previous study, HMGA2 promotes invasiveness and cell proliferation in GC by eliciting epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMT) and acquiring tumor stem cell properties through the activation of the HMGA2-TWIST1, HMGA2-FOXL2-ITGA2 and Wnt/β-catenin pathways, ultimately resulting in chemoresistance and distant metastases [48-51]. Here, ITGA2 is linked to gastric cancer.