Analysing a Novel RNA-Binding-Protein-Related Prognostic Signature Highly Expressed in Breast Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Breast cancer (BRCA) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in women.
• RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are crucial in tumor pathogenesis by regulating gene expression.
• RBPs interact with diverse RNAs, including noncoding RNAs, influencing cancer progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify prognostic RNA-binding protein (RBP)-related genes in breast cancer (BRCA).
• To develop and validate a prognostic signature for predicting overall survival in BRCA patients.
• To explore the potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications of the identified gene signature.

Main Methods:

• Downloaded BRCA data from TCGA and ICGC databases for training and validation.
• Screened prognostic RBPs-related genes using differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and univariate Cox regression.
• Constructed and validated a prognostic signature using LASSO regression, including prognostic analysis and immune/drug correlation analyses.

Main Results:

• Identified a 4-gene prognostic signature (MRPL13, IGF2BP1, BRCA1, MAEL) for BRCA.
• Validated the signature in TCGA and ICGC cohorts, demonstrating accurate prediction of 1, 3, and 5-year overall survival.
• Confirmed high expression of these genes in tumors and their significant correlations with immune cells and potential drug responses.

Conclusions:

• A 4-RBPs-based prognostic signature was developed to predict BRCA patient prognosis.
• This signature shows potential for improving the diagnosis and treatment strategies for breast cancer.