Bioinformatics Analysis and Experimental Validation of Disulphidptosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly aggressive relatively common cancer that poses a serious threat to patient health, leading to significant economic burdens on healthcare systems. This study was designed to investigate the expression levels of disulphidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in OSCC and assess their potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis.

We used in-depth bioinformatics analysis of RNA sequencing data from the public databases, as well as functional enrichment analysis, survival analysis, immune cell infiltration levels and single cell analysis, to assess DRG expression in OSCC samples. Fifteen highly elevated DRGs, including inverted formin 2 (INF2) and destrin (DSTN), were investigated, and their expression in OSCC samples was validated by real-time PCR.

The expression of these 15 DRGs correlated with patient survival rates and immune cell infiltration patterns. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are engaged in the regulation of essential biological processes, including the cytoskeleton and focal adhesion, indicating their importance in tumour development and tumour microenvironment interactions. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the area under the curve for these DRGs ranged between 0.651 and 0.932, indicating their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. The mRNA expressions of INF2 and DSTN were increased in OSCC samples. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis emphasised the predominant expression of DRGs in cancer cells.

INF2 and DSTN could serve as valuable biomarkers for the early detection and prognosis of OSCC, potentially impacting future therapeutic strategies. However, further research, including laboratory validation and clinical trials, is essential to explore the therapeutic targeting of INF2 and DSTN and their effects on the immune microenvironment in OSCC.

INF2 and DSTN have been shown to be independent predictors of overall survival and progression-free survival in OSCC patients. Integrating tumour node metastasis staging with these DRG features could significantly improve the accuracy of prognosis prediction. This will help clinicians to more accurately assess the risk of recurrence and death in patients, and to guide more individualised plans for postoperative follow-up intensity and frequency.