ZFP36L2 Is a Potential Prognostic Marker of IL1β⁺ Osteosarcoma

Background: Osteosarcoma stands as the predominant bone malignancy afflicting children and young adults. Despite strides in treatment, the enduring reality is that the long-term survival rates for patients grappling with recurrences and metastases linger at a mere 30%. This underscores the pressing demand for novel prognostic markers and therapeutic avenues to improve outcomes and offer hope to those battling this formidable disease. ZFP36L2, a member of the tristetraprolin family of CCCH zinc finger proteins, stands out for its pivotal role in posttranscriptional modifications and its ability to modify tumor microenvironments. Methods: We obtained RNA-seq data from TCGA and GTEx cohorts to investigate the expression of ZFP36L2 in tumor and normal tissues. We also utilized GO/KEGG analysis and immune infiltration analysis to verify the relationship between ZFP36L2 and immune cells. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to study the relationship between ZFP36L2 and IL1β in osteosarcoma. Single-cell data analysis and cell-cell communication analysis were used to discover the therapeutic potential of ZFP36L2 in osteosarcoma. Results: This study elucidates the specific expression pattern of ZFP36L2 in tumors. ZFP36L2 is associated with metastasis in sarcoma, but has no statistically significant correlation with survival rate. ZFP36L2 has been shown to be associated with T cells and macrophages in the tumor microenvironment through GO/KEGG analysis and immune infiltration analysis. The survival analysis results show that ZFP36L2 can serve as a biomarker in IL1β⁺ osteosarcoma. Single-cell sequencing analysis shows that ZFP36L2 is present in IL1β⁺ macrophages. Cell-cell communication analysis indicates that ZFP36L2 targets TNF in IL1β⁺ osteosarcoma, thereby improving prognosis. Conclusions: ZFP36L2 has potential as a prognostic marker in IL1β⁺ osteosarcoma patients.