CDKN2AIPNL: a potential pan-cancer biomarker

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Cancer progression involves complex interactions between tumor cells and their microenvironment.
• Identifying reliable pan-cancer biomarkers is crucial for advancing precision oncology.
• CDKN2AIPNL has a known dual role, suppressing myeloid cancers but promoting solid tumors, necessitating a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically analyze the pan-cancer expression patterns, prognostic significance, genetic alterations, and molecular mechanisms of CDKN2AIPNL.
• To elucidate the role of CDKN2AIPNL in various tumor types and its association with clinical outcomes.
• To evaluate CDKN2AIPNL as a potential pan-cancer prognostic biomarker.

Main Methods:

• Utilized public datasets (TCGA, GTEx, HPA) and bioinformatics tools (GEPIA2, cBioPortal, TIMER2, STRING, BioGRID).
• Conducted expression difference, survival, genetic alteration, and cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) infiltration analyses.
• Performed gene/protein interaction enrichment analysis to understand molecular mechanisms.

Main Results:

• CDKN2AIPNL showed varied expression across tumors, being upregulated in LIHC, UVM, BRCA, LUAD and downregulated in KICH, KIRP, THCA.
• Elevated CDKN2AIPNL correlated with poor prognosis in several cancers (e.g., LIHC, UVM, BRCA) but favorable outcomes in others (e.g., TGCT).
• Genetic alterations were frequent in KIRC and ACC; CDKN2AIPNL interacted with MYC, XRN2, and CHAMP1, influencing metabolic reprogramming, cell cycle, and immune suppression.

Conclusions:

• CDKN2AIPNL exhibits a complex, tumor-specific role in tumorigenesis, acting as both a potential oncoprotein and tumor suppressor.
• The findings validate CDKN2AIPNL as a potential pan-cancer prognostic biomarker.
• This research offers novel insights for cancer diagnosis and the development of targeted therapies.