Identifying potential therapeutic targets for prostate cancer with mediating role in tumor immunity

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading malignancy with a rising global incidence, posing significant challenges in treatment. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a major barrier to effective immunotherapy. Identifying therapeutic targets that modulate the immune response within TME is crucial for advancing PCa treatment.

In this study, we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal relationships between gene expression of blood proteins and PCa risk. We utilized cis-eQTL data from the eQTLGen Consortium and immune cell phenotype data from the NHGRI-EBI GWAS Catalog. Our analysis included primary and secondary cohorts, totaling over 800,000 individuals. Colocalization analysis was performed to confirm the genetic associations, and mediation MR analysis was used to explore the mediating role of proteins in tumor immunity. Drug prediction and molecular docking were applied to assess the potential of identified targets as druggable candidates.

Our MR analysis identified 557 proteins associated with PCa in the primary cohort, with 85 proteins remaining significant in another independent cohort. Mediation analysis revealed nine proteins that mediated the impact of immune cells on PCa. Colocalization analysis confirmed the causality of five proteins, which were further supported by phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Molecular docking demonstrated strong binding affinity of potential drugs to these targets.

This study identified five drug targets in prostate cancer that modulate the tumor immune response. These targets may expedite drug development and personalize medicine, potentially enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing side effects.