CD2AP shapes a stromal reduced tumor microenvironment and contributes to immunotherapy in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks as the fifth most prevalent malignant tumor and stands as the fourth leading contributor to cancer-related fatalities on a global scale. The specific link between CD2 Associated Protein (CD2AP) expression and the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains unclear, and further exploration is needed to understand its potential role in immune response and as a target for immunotherapy in GC. Utilizing RNA sequencing data acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) for a pan-cancer analysis, a comprehensive evaluation was carried out to determine the expression pattern and immunological involvement of CD2AP. Systematic association of CD2AP with immunological features within the stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) TME was subsequently performed, encompassing factors like cancer immunity cycles, immune checkpoints, immunomodulators, tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs). We found that CD2AP was enhanced expression in the TME of a variety of malignancies. CD2AP contributes to forming a stromal reduced TME in GC and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy. It was observed that patients with elevated levels of CD2AP, along with high scores on their CD4, CD20, and CD57 immune markers, tended to experience the most favorable prognosis. Furthermore, an IRS was constructed to accurately assess the prognosis of STAD patients. Since CD2AP was associated with the formation of stromal reduced TME in STAD, the expression of CD2AP can improve the effect of immunotherapy of STAD. CD2AP could emerge as a novel prognostic biomarker for STAD, offering a fresh avenue for molecular targeted therapy.