Fig 2: MMD and the immune microenvironment of GC. (A) Correlation analysis in GC; (B) Impact of MMD and CAFs on the prognosis of GC patients; (C) Correlation analysis of MMD with six markers of CAFs in GC. (CAFs, Cancer-associated fibroblasts).

Fig 3: Cell cycle and apoptosis assays. (A, B) Down-regulation of MMD expression inhibits AGS cell growth; (C, D) Down-regulation of MMD expression inhibits SNU-216 cell growth; (E, F) MMD overexpression promotes AGS cell growth; (G, H) MMD overexpression promotes SNU-216 cell growth; (I) Down-regulation of MMD expression promotes SNU-216 cell apoptosis; (J–L) Early, middle-late, and total apoptosis in SNU-216 cells. ns: not significant (p>0.05). *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001, ****p<0.0001.

Fig 4: CCK-8 and clone formation assay. (A–D) Validation of the effectiveness of siRNA and overexpression plasmid in AGS and SNU-216 cells; (E, F) Down-regulation of MMD expression slows down the proliferation rate; (G, H) MMD overexpression accelerates the proliferation rate; (I, J) Down-regulation of MMD expression attenuates the proliferation ability; (K, L) MMD overexpression enhances the proliferation ability. (**p<0.01, ***p<0.001, ****p<0.0001).

Fig 5: Animal experiments, scratch assay, migration, and invasion experiments. (A, B) Construction of lentiviral stable cell line by MMD knockdown in MKN-45 cells (qPCR and western blotting); (C, D) Subcutaneous tumor formation experiment in nude mice; (E) Down-regulation of MMD expression level inhibits wound healing in SNU-216 cells; (F) MMD overexpression promotes wound healing in AGS cells; (G–I) Down-regulation of MMD expression inhibits migration; (J–L) Down-regulation of MMD expression inhibits invasion. (**p<0.01, ****p<0.0001).