In summary, this study found that NEK2 could regulate HMOX1 expression through Keap1/Nrf2, thus affecting the ferroptosis sensitivity of gastric cancer cells, enriching the pathological mechanism of gastric cancer and the role and mechanism of NEK2 in gastric cancer, providing evidence for the targeted inhibition of NEK2 and then development of new therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of gastric cancer. This evidence concerns the gene NEK2 and gastric cancer.