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Identifying drug candidates for hepatocellular carcinoma based on differentially expressed genes
Jiyuan Xing1,2, Qingmiao Shi1,2, Junjie Zhao3
1Gene Hospital of Henan Province, Precision Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Zhengzhou 450052, Henan, China.
Abstract:
The prognosis for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is extremely poor, mainly due to rapid progression and a paucity of effective drugs. Genome-wide analysis allows for potential drugs to be explored based on differentially expressed genes (DEGs). However, drug candidates and DEGs in HCC are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated DEGs and prognostication using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and immunohistochemical staining. Protein-protein interaction networks between DEGs were also analyzed to clarify 12 hub genes and query online databases for potential HCC therapeutic drugs. We found that 885 of 3219 DEGs from a TCGA dataset were associated with prognosis. We clarified 12 hub genes that were overexpressed in tumor samples and significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) in HCC patients. These findings were validated using GEO and ICGC cohorts. Moreover, promising drug candidates targeted against HCC were predicted using online databases. Collectively, the upregulation of 12 hub genes was associated with poor prognosis for patients with HCC, and focusing on their expression may advance efforts towards targeted HCC therapies.
Insights
Identifying key genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is crucial for new therapies. This study found 12 overexpressed genes linked to poor prognosis in HCC patients, offering potential drug targets.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis due to rapid progression and limited effective treatments.
- Identifying novel therapeutic targets and drug candidates for HCC is a critical unmet need.
- Genome-wide analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) offers a promising avenue for discovering such targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their prognostic value.
- To identify potential therapeutic drug candidates for HCC based on gene expression profiles.
- To elucidate the role of hub genes in HCC progression and patient survival.
Main Methods:
- Utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets for genome-wide analysis.
- Performed immunohistochemical staining and analyzed protein-protein interaction networks of DEGs.
- Identified 12 hub genes and queried online databases for potential HCC therapeutic drugs.
Main Results:
- Identified 885 DEGs associated with prognosis from a TCGA dataset.
- Discovered 12 overexpressed hub genes significantly correlated with poor overall survival (OS) in HCC patients.
- Validated findings across independent GEO and ICGC cohorts and predicted promising drug candidates.
Conclusions:
- Upregulation of the 12 identified hub genes is associated with a poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- These hub genes represent potential therapeutic targets for advancing targeted HCC therapies.
- Further research focusing on these genes may lead to the development of novel treatment strategies for HCC.
