Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026
Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Gastrointestinal Cancer
Published on: September 18, 2020
Different Expressions and Methylation Patterns of cGAS and STING in Cervical Cancer
Ruimin Wang1,2, Shuling Liu3, Rui Wang4,5
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Suqian Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No. 138 Huanghe Road, Suqian City, 223806, China.
Background:
The cGAS-STING pathway has established itself as a critical innate immune pathway that has the ability to significantly affect tumor initiation and progression. The expression, methylation, immunological functions, and prognostic importance of cGAS-STING pathway-related genes in cervical squamous cancer (CESC) patients have not yet been thoroughly elucidated.
Methods:
First, we explored the expression of cGAS and STING in cervical carcinoma samples from TCGA by comparing the mRNA and protein levels of cGAS and STING in both TCGA cervical tumor patient samples and cervical tumor cell lines. Second, we examined the CD4+T and CD8+T cell infiltration in STING high and low samples and made Kaplan-Meier prognosis analysis of STING protein expression. Third, to verify the findings in TCGA public datasets, we retrospectively selected 40 cervical squamous carcinoma patients and 10 normal cervical tissues and evaluated cGAS and STING protein expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC). All patients have detailed clinical information, which includes age, FIGO stage, menstruation status, follow-up time, histology, tumor diameter, and serum tumor markers.
Results:
In both cervical tumor patient samples and cell lines, we observed that cGAS is increased, whereas STING is decreased in tumors, which leads to decreased CD4+T and CD8+T cell infiltration and poor prognosis. Furthermore, the cGAS mRNA transcript showed a gradual increase and STING mRNA showed a decrease according to the tumor stage, tumor grade, metastasis status, and histology types. We confirmed the expression of cGAS and STING proteins in clinical cervical tumor samples using IHC. Mechanically, cGAS and STING showed different DNA methylation patterns, which might contribute to the differences in cGAS and STING mRNA and protein levels.
Conclusions:
Our work identified different expressions and methylation patterns of cGAS and STING in cervical cancer and their correlation with immune T cell infiltration and prognosis. More mechanistic study is needed to understand the cGAS-STING pathway in cervical squamous tumor.
Insights
The cGAS-STING pathway is crucial in cervical cancer. This study found increased cGAS and decreased STING expression correlate with poor prognosis and reduced T cell infiltration in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway is a key component of innate immunity influencing cancer development.
- The roles of cGAS-STING pathway genes in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC), including their expression, methylation, immune function, and prognostic significance, remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression patterns of cGAS and STING in cervical cancer.
- To analyze the correlation between cGAS-STING expression, T cell infiltration, and patient prognosis in CESC.
- To explore the potential role of DNA methylation in regulating cGAS-STING expression in CESC.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cGAS and STING mRNA and protein expression in TCGA cervical cancer datasets and cell lines.
- Examination of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration in relation to STING expression levels.
- Kaplan-Meier survival analysis based on STING protein expression.
- Validation of cGAS and STING protein expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) on clinical CESC samples.
Main Results:
- Cervical tumors exhibit elevated cGAS expression and reduced STING expression compared to normal tissues, impacting both mRNA and protein levels.
- Decreased STING expression is associated with reduced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration and poorer patient prognosis.
- cGAS and STING mRNA levels correlate with tumor stage, grade, metastasis, and histology, suggesting their involvement in cancer progression.
- Distinct DNA methylation patterns were observed for cGAS and STING, potentially explaining their differential expression.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals altered expression and methylation patterns of cGAS and STING in cervical cancer.
- These alterations are linked to immune T cell infiltration and patient prognosis, highlighting the cGAS-STING pathway's significance in CESC.
- Further mechanistic research is warranted to fully elucidate the cGAS-STING pathway's role in cervical squamous tumors.
Related Concept Videos
02:35Chromatin Position Affects Gene Expression
Topologically Associated Domains (TADs)
The 3-dimensional positioning of chromatin in the nucleus influences the...
01:06Fixed Action Patterns
01:26Patterns of Fever
01:17Phase II Reactions: Methylation Reactions
The mechanism of methylation unfolds in two stages. The first stage sees a methyltransferase enzyme facilitating the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the substrate, forming S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). The second stage involves further metabolism of SAH into homocysteine, which can be recycled...
01:42What is Gene Expression?
Gene expression is the process in which DNA directs the synthesis of functional products, that is, proteins. Cells can regulate gene expression at various stages. It allows organisms to generate different cell types and enables cells to adapt to internal and external factors.
Genetic Information Flows from DNA to RNA to Protein
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is made up of nucleotides and proteins consist of amino...
01:29Oxygen Requirements and Growth Patterns