SMPD1 as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Glioma Is Associated With an Immunosuppressive Microenvironment

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM), encoded by the SMPD1 gene, is crucial for sphingolipid metabolism.
• ASM plays roles in tumor progression and immune modulation, but its function in glioma is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of SMPD1 in glioma.
• To evaluate SMPD1 as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in glioma.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive analysis of SMPD1 expression and its correlation with clinical and immune features in TCGA and CGGA glioma datasets.
• In vitro validation of SMPD1's effect on macrophage polarization using qRT-PCR.
• In vivo assessment of SMPD1's functional role in glioma progression.

Main Results:

• SMPD1 expression is significantly higher in high-grade, IDH-wildtype, and MGMT-unmethylated gliomas.
• Elevated SMPD1 levels correlate with poor prognosis and increased infiltration of regulatory T cells and M2 macrophages.
• Inhibition of SMPD1 suppressed glioma growth in vivo and shifted macrophages towards an M1 phenotype in vitro.

Conclusions:

• SMPD1 is upregulated in gliomas and associated with an immunosuppressive microenvironment.
• SMPD1 represents a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for glioma immunotherapy.