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Updated: Jul 31, 2025
Author Spotlight: Investigating Immune Cell Dynamics in the Tumor Microenvironment — Challenges and Innovations in Cancer Prognosis
Published on: April 12, 2024
NUF2 is correlated with a poor prognosis and immune infiltration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Baishu Zheng1, Shunde Wang2, Xiaoyu Yuan1
1Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 76 Linjiang Road, Yuzhong district, Chongqing, 400010, China.
Background:
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the most common malignancies. Recently, immunotherapy has been considered a promising treatment for metastatic ccRCC. NUF2 is a crucial component of the Ndc80 complex. NUF2 can stabilize microtubule attachment and is closely related to cell apoptosis and proliferation. This research is dedicated to investigating the role of NUF2 in ccRCC and the possible mechanisms.
Methods:
First, analysis of NUF2 mRNA expression levels in ccRCC and normal tissues by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and further verified by analysis of independent multiple microarray data sets in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Moreover, we evaluated and identified correlations between NUF2 expression, clinicopathologic variable, and overall survival (OS) in ccRCC by various methods. We investigated the relationship between NUF2 and tumor immune infiltration and the expression of corresponding immune cell markers via the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) databases. Then, we performed functional enrichment analysis of NUF2 co-expressed genes using R software and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) using the search tool used to retrieve interacting genes/proteins (STRING) databases.
Results:
We discovered that NUF2 mRNA expression was upregulated in ccRCC tissues and was associated with sex, grade, pathological stage, lymph node metastasis, and worse prognosis. In addition, NUF2 was positively linked to tumor immune cells in ccRCC. Moreover, NUF2 was closely related to genetic markers of different immune cells. Finally, functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis suggested that NUF2 and its closely related genes may be involved in the regulation of the cell cycle and mitosis. Our results suggested that NUF2 is correlated with a poor prognosis and immune infiltration in ccRCC.
Insights
NUF2 is upregulated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) tissues, correlating with poor prognosis and increased immune infiltration. This suggests NUF2 may be a therapeutic target for ccRCC treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a prevalent malignancy.
- Immunotherapy shows promise for metastatic ccRCC.
- NUF2, a component of the Ndc80 complex, influences cell proliferation and apoptosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of NUF2 in ccRCC.
- Elucidate the underlying mechanisms of NUF2 in ccRCC progression.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed NUF2 mRNA expression in ccRCC tissues using TCGA and GEO databases.
- Correlated NUF2 expression with clinicopathologic variables and overall survival.
- Assessed NUF2's relationship with tumor immune infiltration using GEPIA and TIMER databases.
- Performed functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction analyses.
Main Results:
- NUF2 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in ccRCC tissues.
- Elevated NUF2 expression correlated with advanced pathological stage, lymph node metastasis, and poorer prognosis.
- NUF2 positively associated with tumor immune cell infiltration and immune cell markers.
- NUF2 and its related genes are implicated in cell cycle and mitosis regulation.
Conclusions:
- NUF2 is upregulated in ccRCC and associated with poor prognosis.
- NUF2 plays a role in ccRCC immune infiltration.
- NUF2 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ccRCC.
