Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis confirms RBMS3 as the central candidate biological target for ovarian cancer

Mei Wang1, Xiangjun Fu1, Wei Wang2

  • 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Yijishan Hospital, Wuhu 241001, Anhui, China; Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002, Anhui, China.

Insights

Researchers identified five key genes, including RBMS3, linked to ovarian cancer (OC) prognosis. RBMS3 acts as a tumor suppressor, potentially serving as a biomarker for OC treatment and predicting patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Bioinformatics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Ovarian cancer (OC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in women.
  • Identifying prognostic gene markers is crucial for developing targeted therapies.
  • Bioinformatics approaches are valuable for screening genes associated with cancer progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To screen for prognostic gene markers of ovarian cancer (OC) using bioinformatics.
  • To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying OC progression.
  • To investigate the functional role of RBMS3 in OC cells.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of two OC gene expression datasets (GSE54388, GSE119056) from the GEO database.
  • Differential gene expression analysis using R software (limma package).
  • Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis.
  • Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction (STRING, Cytoscape).
  • Prognostic gene screening using TCGA database and COX regression.
  • Validation of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) via qRT-PCR.
  • In vitro functional experiments to assess RBMS3's role in OC cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis.

Main Results:

  • 352 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the two datasets.
  • Survival analysis revealed MEIS2, TSTA3, CNTN1, RBMS3, and TRA2A are associated with OC prognosis.
  • RBMS3 expression was positively correlated with overall survival (OS) in OC patients.
  • RBMS3 levels were significantly lower in OC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues.
  • Overexpression of RBMS3 suppressed OC cell viability, migration, and invasion, while increasing apoptosis.

Conclusions:

  • Five key genes, including RBMS3, were identified as potential prognostic markers for OC.
  • RBMS3 functions as a tumor suppressor gene in ovarian cancer.
  • RBMS3 holds promise as a potential biomarker for OC diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.