Identification of VRK1 as a Novel Potential Biomarker for Prognosis and Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Immunotherapy

Background:

• Vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) is recognized for its role in the tumor cell cycle.
• The prognostic and immunotherapeutic predictive value of VRK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression of VRK1 in HCC.
• To evaluate the prognostic significance of VRK1 in HCC patients.
• To determine the predictive value of VRK1 for immunotherapy response in HCC.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of VRK1 expression using TCGA, ICGC, and GSE14520 datasets.
• Validation of VRK1 expression via qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC).
• Assessment of immunotherapeutic response using the IMvigor210 cohort.
• Correlation studies on immune infiltration, m6A modification, and functional enrichment.

Main Results:

• VRK1 mRNA and protein levels are significantly elevated in HCC.
• High VRK1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients.
• Increased VRK1 expression positively correlates with response rates to anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy.
• VRK1 is linked to m6A-related genes, immune cell infiltration, and key biological processes like DNA replication and cell cycle control.

Conclusions:

• VRK1 serves as a potential novel biomarker for predicting prognosis in HCC.
• VRK1 may also predict immunotherapy response in HCC patients.