丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(mitogen-activated protein kinase，MAPK)信号转导通路是调节细胞生长和存活的关键途径，异常的MAPK信号能促进癌症的发生发展，也决定了癌症的治疗反应。胃癌是中国常见消化道恶性肿瘤之一；近年来研究发现，在胃癌中存在诸多细胞信号传导通路的调控异常。细胞外信号调节激酶(extracellular signal-regulated kinase，ERK)信号通路是MAPK家族中的一条重要信号通路，该信号通路通过整合传递细胞外信号至细胞及其核内控制细胞的生长、凋亡和分化等。MAPK/ERK信号通路的异常激活可导致细胞丧失凋亡和分化能力，引发细胞异常增殖和恶性转化，促进胃癌的恶性表型；相反，阻断MAPK/ERK信号通路的相关组分则可逆转这一过程。本文结合国内外最新研究报道，对近年来在胃癌研究中发现MAPK/ERK信号通路的激活或失活在促进或抑制胃癌细胞恶性表型的重要作用及其相关的分子机制加以综述。“,”The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling transduction pathway is a key way to regulate cell growth and survival.Abnormal MAPK signaling can promote the occurrence and development of cancer, and also determine the cancer response to treatment.Gastric cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of the digestive tract in China.Recent studies have found that there are many abnormal cell signaling processes regulating gastric cancer.The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling is an important signaling pathway in the MAPK family.This signaling pathway integrates and transmits extracellular signals to the cell and its nucleus to control cell growth, apoptosis and differentiation.Abnormal activation of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway can interrupt cell apoptosis and differentiation, trigger abnormal cell proliferation and malignant transformation, and promote the malignant phenotype of gastric cancer.On the contrary, blocking the cascade of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway can reverse thisprocess.This article summarizes the important role of activation or inactivation of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in promoting or inhibiting the malignant phenotype of gastric cancer cells, and explores the molecular mechanisms underlying gastric cancer based on the latest research reports at home and abroad.