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Ferroptosis-Related Genes Are Potential Therapeutic Targets and the Model of These Genes Influences Overall Survival of NSCLC Patients.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSCC) are two of the most common subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with high mortality rates and rising incidence worldwide. Ferroptosis is a mode of programmed cell death caused by lipid peroxidation, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and is dependent on iron. The recent discovery of ferroptosis has provided new insights into tumor development, and the clinical relevance of ferroptosis for tumor therapy is being increasingly appreciated. However, its role in NSCLC remains to be explored.

Methods

The clinical and molecular data for 1727 LUAD and LUSCC patients and 73 control individuals were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Gene expression profiles, copy number variations and somatic mutations of 57 ferroptosis-related genes in 1727 tumor samples from the four datasets were used in a univariate Cox analysis and consensus clustering analysis. The biological signatures of each pattern were identified. A ferroptosis score was generated by combining the univariate Cox regression analysis and random forest algorithm followed by principal component analysis (PCA) and further investigated for its predictive and therapeutic value in LUAD and LUSCC.

Results

The expression of 57 ferroptosis-related genes in NSCLC patients differed significantly from that of normal subjects. Based on unsupervised clustering of ferroptosis-related genes, we divided all patients into three ferroptosis expression pattern groups, which showed differences in ferroptosis-associated gene expression patterns, immune cell infiltration levels, prognostic characteristics and enriched pathways. Using the differentially expressed genes in the three ferroptosis expression patterns, a set of 17 ferroptosis-related gene prognostic models was established, which clustered all patients in the cohort into a low score group and a high score group, with marked differences in prognosis (p < 0.001). The high ferroptosis score was significantly associated with positive response to radiotherapy (p < 0.001), high T stage (p < 0.001), high N stage (p < 0.001) and high-grade tumor (p < 0.001) characteristics.

Conclusions

The 17 ferroptosis-associated genes show great potential for stratifying LUAD and LUSCC patients into high and low risk groups. Interestingly, a high ferroptosis score in LUAD patients was associated with a good prognosis, whereas a similar high ferroptosis score in LUSCC patients was associated with a poor prognosis. Familiarity with the mechanisms underlying ferroptosis and its implications for the treatment of NSCLC, as well as its effect on OS and PFS, may provide guidance and insights in developing new therapeutic targets for NSCLC.

SUBMITTER: Zhang N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9319237 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundFerroptosis is a novel iron-dependent form of cell death, which is implicated in various diseases including cancers. However, the influence of ferroptosis-related genes on the prognosis of breast cancer remains unclear.MethodsRNA sequencing data of 1053 breast cancer tissue samples and 111 normal tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed. Expression levels of 259 ferroptosis-related genes were compared. Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Gene and Genomic Encyclopedia (KEGG) analyses were conducted on differentially expressed genes. Cox univariate analysis was conducted to explore the potential prognostic biomarkers of breast cancer. Infiltrating immune cell status was assessed.ResultsA total of 66 ferroptosis-related genes were differentially expressed in breast cancer tissues. The enriched GO terms included Biological Process (mainly included response to oxidative stress, cellular response to chemical stress, multicellular organismal homeostasis, cofactor metabolic process, response to metal ion, response to steroid hormone, cellular response to oxidative stress, transition metal ion homeostasis, iron ion homeostasis, and cellular iron ion homeostasis), Cellular Component (mainly included apical plasma membrane, early endosome, apical part of cell, lipid droplet, basolateral plasma membrane, blood microparticle, clathrin-coated pit, caveola, astrocyte projection, and pronucleus) and Molecular Function (mainly included iron ion binding, ubiquitin protein ligase binding, oxidoreductase activity, acting on paired donors, with incorporation or reduction of molecular oxygen, oxidoreductase activity, acting on the CH-OH group of donors, NAD or NADP as acceptor, ferric iron binding, aldo-keto reductase (NADP) activity, oxidoreductase activity, acting on single donors with incorporation of molecular oxygen, steroid dehydrogenase activity, alditol:NADP+1-oxidoreductase activity, and alcohol dehydrogenase (NADP+) activity). The enriched KEGG pathway mainly included the HIF-1 signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, ferroptosis, IL-17 signaling pathway, central carbon metabolism in cancer, PPAR signaling pathway, PD-L1 expression, and PD-1 checkpoint pathway in cancer. Among them, 38 ferroptosis-related genes were significantly associated with the prognosis of breast cancer. The prognostic model was constructed, and breast cancer patients in low-risk group had a better prognosis. In addition, risk score of ferroptosis prognostic model was negatively correlated with B cells (r = -0.063, p = 0.049), CD8+ T cells (r = -0.083, p = 0.010), CD4+ T cells (r = -0.097, p = 0.002), neutrophils (r = -0.068, p = 0.033), and dendritic cells (r = 0.088, p = 0.006).ConclusionsThe ferroptosis pathway plays a key role in breast cancer. Some differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes can be used as prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer.