m⁶A regulator-mediated methylation modification patterns and tumor immune microenvironment in sarcoma

Studies have shown that the RNA N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification patterns are extensively involved in the development of multiple tumors. However, the association between the m⁶A regulator expression patterns and the sarcoma tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) remains unclear.

We systematically evaluated the m⁶A regulator expression patterns in patients with sarcoma based on known 23 m⁶A regulators. Different m⁶A regulator expression patterns were analyzed using gene set variation analysis and a single-sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithm. According to the results of consensus clustering, we classified the patients into four different clusters. Next, we subjected the four clusters to differential genetic analysis and established m⁶A-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We then calculated the m⁶A-related DEGs score and constructed the m⁶A-related gene signature, named m⁶A score. Finally, the 259 sarcoma samples were divided into high- and low-m⁶A score groups. We further evaluated the TIME landscape between the high- and low-m⁶A score groups.

We identified four different m⁶A modification clusters and found that each cluster had unique metabolic and immunological characteristics. Based on the 19 prognosis-related DEGs, we calculated the principal component analysis scores for each patient with sarcoma and classified them into high- and low-m⁶A score groups.

The m⁶A regulator expression patterns and complexity of the sarcoma TIME landscape are closely related to each other. Systematic evaluation of m⁶A regulator expression patterns and m⁶A scores in patients with sarcoma will enhance our understanding of TIME characteristics.