HSF1 is a novel prognostic biomarker in high-risk prostate cancer that correlates with ferroptosis

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer in older men in Europe and the United States and has the second highest death rate among male cancers. The transcription of heat shock proteins by Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is known to regulate cell growth and stress. Nevertheless, the impact of HSF1 on ferroptosis in PC through heat shock protein 10 (HSPE1) remains unexplored.

This study employed a range of analytical techniques, including proteomics sequencing, LC-MS/MS, CHIP-qPCR, Western blotting, immunohisto -chemistry, JC-1, CKK-8, MDA, and ROS assays. Bioinformatics analysis was performed using the UALCAN,GEPIA, PCaDB and Metascape platforms.

Compared with levels observed in tumor-adjacent tissue, the levels of proteins associated with fatty acids, amino acids and the oxidative phosphorylation metabolic pathway were significantly upregulated in high-risk PC tissue (Gleason score ≥ 8). HSF1 mRNA and protein levels in high-risk PC tissues were significantly higher than those observed in medium-risk PC (Gleason score = 7) and low-risk PC (Gleason score ≤ 6) tissues. ssGSEA showed that HSF1 was involved in the proliferation and anti-apoptotic processes of PC. Further bioinformatics analysis showed that HSF1 potentially affects the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) system by targeting HSPE1. In addition, HSF1 alleviates ROS and MDA levels to enhance the resistance of prostate cancer cells to ferroptosis by regulating HSPE1 in vitro, and HSF1 knockout promotes the susceptibility of PC to RSL3 treatment by increasing ferroptosis in vivo.

Collectively, our findings suggest that HSF1 exerts a significant influence on PC. HSF1 may represent a promising biomarker for identifying high-risk PC, and the elimination of HSF1 could potentially enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of RSL3.