Construction of a novel copper-induced-cell-death-related gene signature for prognosis in colon cancer, with focus on KIF7

Abstract

Background

Colon cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Accurate prognostic markers are essential for patient risk stratification and personalized treatment. Copper-induced cell-death-related genes (CRG) have emerged as potential players in cancer prognosis, yet their role in CC remains unclear.

Methods

This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the expression of CRG and their roles in CC using gene expression and clinical data from TCGA and GEO databases. Univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses identified prognostic genes, leading to the construction of a CRG prognostic signature. The signature’s predictive accuracy was validated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves, Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, and a nomogram model. Additionally, we conducted experiments including immunofluorescence staining and cellular assays to validate the key genes’ biological functions.

Results

A 12-gene CRG signature was significantly associated with overall survival in CC patients. The high-risk group, as classified by median risk score, exhibited significantly shorter survival times compared to the low-risk group. The signature’s predictive accuracy was further confirmed with Area Under the Curve (AUC) scores exceeding 0.75 in TCGA and GSE17536 cohorts. Notably, the risk score was significantly correlated with immune checkpoints, chemotherapy sensitivity, and tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, the risk score showed a strong association with immunotherapy response in patients from GSE78220 and GSE39688 cohorts. Bioinformatics analysis of KIF7, a key gene within the signature, revealed its upregulation in CC and significant associations with tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, and immune cell infiltration across various cancers. Experiments confirmed that KIF7 was upregulated in CC and its knockdown reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Conclusion

The CRG prognostic signature can effectively predict overall survival, immune microenvironment and chemotherapy response in CC. KIF7, as a potential prognostic marker, has significant potential for the prediction and treatment of CC.