MRPS23 is a novel prognostic biomarker and promotes glioma progression

Mitochondrial ribosomal protein S23 (MRPS23), a component of the ribosome small subunit, has been reported to be overexpressed in various cancers and has been predicted to be involved in increased cell proliferation. It has been confirmed that MRPS23 was involved in the regulation of breast cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation. However, little is known about the function of MRPS23 in glioma. In this study, we found that MRPS23 expression was higher in gliomas than in adjacent normal tissues. Higher expression of MRPS23 in gliomas correlated with poorer prognosis, unfavorable histological features, absence of mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase gene (IDH), absence of chromosome 1p and 19q deletions, and responses to chemoradiotherapy. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated MRPS23 expression was independently prognostic of overall survival, disease-free survival, and progression-free survival in patients with glioma. KEGG enrichment analysis results indicated that high MRPS23 expression was associated with cell proliferation and immune response-related signaling pathways. We also confirmed that MRPS23 was highly expressed in glioma cells lines, and MRPS23 knockdown significantly reduced cell survival, proliferation, and migration of glioma cells lines. Collectively, these findings offer mechanistic insights into how MRPS23 during glioma progression, and identify MRPS23 as a potential therapeutic target in the future.