The prognostic implications and oncogenic role of NSUN5 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a predominant form of urinary malignancy, requires the identification of reliable biomarkers to enhance both prognostic outcomes and therapeutic developments specific to ccRCC. NSUN5, a member of the NOL1/NOP2/SUN domain (NSUN) family, plays a critical role in RNA stabilization and exhibits widespread expression across various tumor types. However, the exact function of NSUN5 in ccRCC remains insufficiently understood. Data were collated from cohorts of ccRCC patients who underwent nephrectomy, including those from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC), to evaluate the clinical relevance of NSUN5. Integrative models based on NSUN5 expression were subsequently developed to predict the prognosis of ccRCC within the TCGA and SYSUCC cohorts. Furthermore, the impact of NSUN5 on RCC cells and its association with cellular senescence were corroborated through in vitro experimental analyses. NSUN5 exhibited elevated expression in both ccRCC patients and renal cancer cell lines, whose upregulation significantly correlated with age, tumor size, TNM stage, WHO/International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade, presence of necrosis, and a poor prognosis. An accessible nomogram, incorporating NSUN5 along with various clinicopathological parameters, was adept at predicting outcomes for ccRCC patients. Additionally, in vitro findings indicated that reduced expression of NSUN5 enhanced tumor cell senescence and simultaneously inhibiting cell proliferation and migration. These observations suggest that elevated NSUN5 expression is linked to poorer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), positioning NSUN5 as a viable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in ccRCC.