Predicting colorectal cancer prognosis based on long noncoding RNAs of disulfidptosis genes

World J Clin Oncol. 2024 Jan 24;15(1):89-114. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v15.i1.89.

Abstract

Background: A recently hypothesized cause of cell death called disulfidptosis has been linked to the expansion, emigration, and vascular rebuilding of cancer cells. Cancer can be treated by targeting the pathways that trigger cell death.

Aim: To discover the long non-coding RNA of the disulfidaptosis-related lncRNAs (DRLs), prognosis clinical survival, and treat patients with colorectal cancer with medications.

Methods: Initially, we queried the Cancer Genome Atlas database to collect transcriptome, clinical, and genetic mutation data for colorectal cancer (CRC). Training and testing sets for CRC patient transcriptome data were generated randomly. Key long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) related to DRLs were then identified and evaluated using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator procedure, as well as univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. A prognostic model was then created after risk scoring. Also, Immune infiltration analysis, immune checkpoint analysis, and medication susceptibility analysis were used to investigate the causes of the different prognoses between high and low risk groups. Finally, we validated the differential expression and biomarker potential of risk-predictive lncRNAs through induction using both NCM460 and HT-29 cell lines, as well as a disulfidptosis model.

Results: In this work, eight significant lncRNAs linked to disulfidptosis were found. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes between high- and low-risk groups from the prognostic model showed a close relationship with the immune response as well as significant enrichment in neutrophil extracellular trap formation and the IL-17 signaling pathway. Furthermore, significant immune cell variations between the high-risk and low-risk groups were seen, as well as a higher incidence of immunological escape risk in the high-risk group. Finally, Epirubicin, bortezomib, teniposide, and BMS-754807 were shown to have the lowest sensitivity among the four immunotherapy drugs.

Conclusion: Our findings emphasizes the role of disulfidptosis in regulating tumor development, therapeutic response, and patient survival in CRC patients. For the clinical treatment of CRC, these important LncRNAs could serve as viable therapeutic targets.

Keywords: Clinical outcomes; Colorectal cancer; Disulfidptosis; Drug sensitivity; Immunotherapy.