Comprehensive analysis of cuproptosis genes and cuproptosis-related genes as prognosis factors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common invasive and pernicious cancer with a low five-year survival rate. To identify potential therapeutic targets, we first investigated the characteristics of cuproptosis genes (CUGs) in ESCC. The expression patterns of 10 CUGs (FDX1, LIPT1, LIAS, DLAT, DLD, PDHA1, PDHB, GLS, MTF1, and CDKN2A) were analyzed to identify ESCC-relevant targets. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to obtain CUG-related genes (CRGs). A total of seven differentially expressed genes were identified (FDX1, DLAT, LIAS, PDHB, MTF1, GLS, and CDKN2A). DLAT was upregulated in stage III, and LIPT1 was upregulated in N0 + N1 cancers. The high expression of CDKN2A, and PDHA1, was related to better overall survival, whereas the low expression of LIAS was related to better clinical outcomes. WGCNA was performed to get CUG-related genes (CRGs) and showed three key modules that related to FDX1, DLAT, and LIPT1. Moreover, CRGs (BTLA, CT47A1, and PRRX1) were selected to construct a risk score model in order to predict the survival and prognosis of patients with ESCC. Additionally, the cuproptosis score based on CUGs and a nomogram constructed based on it helped accurately predict the prognosis of patients with ESCC; thus, maybe it can be used for the clinical diagnosis of ESCC. The results also showed that milciclib might inhibit the proliferation and migration of KYSE150 and KYSE510 cells by targeting CDKN2A. In conclusion, the abovementioned CUGs and CRGs play a crucial role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression in ESCC, indicating their potential as therapeutic targets.

The Expression Pattern and Clinical Significance of Lysyl Oxidase Family in Gliomas.

LOX (Lysyl oxidase) family participates in the catalysis of collagen and elastin to maintain ECM homeostasis. Glioma is the most common primary brain tumor and LOX family has not been systemic studied in glioma. In this study, we found LOX family members are upregulated expressed in gliomas samples. A protein-protein interaction network (PPIN) was construct to visualize and understand the differential expression pattern, as well as functional annotation, for LOX family and their interacting proteins, which involved in collagen fibril organization and MAPK signaling pathway. Through subcellular localization distribution, the LOX family members distribute both intracellular and extracellular. All five LOX members are consistently significantly correlate with dendritic cell both in immune infiltrate of GBM and LGG. Survival analysis showed that high expression of LOX family is associated with a poor prognosis of gliomas patients. These analyses provide important clues to identify the potential biological roles for LOX family in gliomas, which might serve as diagnosis markers.