Prognostic Significance of CDK1 in Ovarian and Cervical Cancers

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) and cervical cancer (CC) are the leading causes of death among women. Therefore, identifying markers for early detection and treatment is critical. CDK1 governs the G2/M transition of the cell cycle and is a significant regulatory protein of the cycle. RO-3306 and UBE2C are related to CDK1 expression and might jointly facilitate the development of OC. CDK1 and CDK2 phosphorylate MLK3, which plays an important role in the invasion and proliferation of OC cells. Furthermore, miR-490-3P targets CDK1 and restrains the growth of ovarian tumors. CDK1 also plays a crucial part in the progression of CC. For instance, CDK1 overexpression can rescue the effect of RCC1 knockdown, which is involved in key processes, such as cytoplasmic transport, on G1 cell cycle progression. Using bioinformatics analysis, we evaluated the functional enrichment and role of the co-expressed gene CDK1 in these two cancers and its impact on their prognoses. Methods: First, we screened public datasets for OC- and CC-associated DEGs and identified intersecting genes. Enrichment analyses of these genes revealed key biological pathways and processes. We then generated protein-protein interaction networks to identify central genes and important gene modules. Results: Additional enrichment analyses revealed that cell cycle regulation and germ cell maturation were the primary processes regulated by these core genes. We also examined the function of CDK1 in OC and CC, demonstrating its overexpression and its association with particular immunological cell infiltration patterns. Furthermore, CDK1 mutational burden, copy number variation, and patient survival analyses indicated that CDK1 may be a useful prognostic marker. Finally, immunohistochemical examination confirmed the expression of some candidate genes in clinical samples. Conclusion: These findings shed light on the molecular causes of OC and CC and will aid the identification of novel targets for future research regarding these cancers, including their diagnosis and treatment.