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Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis Identifies POFUT1 as a Prognostic Biomarker and Potential Therapeutic Target
Zakir Ullah1, Xiaosong Pei1, Perbhat Ali2
1Liaoning Provincial Core Lab of Glycobiology and Glycoengineering, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116041, China.
Cancers
|May 13, 2026
Summary
Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (POFUT1) is overexpressed in many cancers, correlating with poor survival and immune evasion. This suggests POFUT1 is a potential pan-cancer biomarker and therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biochemistry
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Aberrant protein O-fucosylation by POFUT1 regulates key signaling pathways like Notch, often dysregulated in cancers.
- POFUT1's role in tumorigenesis is recognized, but its pan-cancer expression, clinical impact, and immune links are unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pan-cancer expression patterns of POFUT1.
- To assess its clinical significance and relationship with tumor immune infiltration.
Main Methods:
- Multi-omics bioinformatics analysis of TCGA and public datasets (n > 10,000) across 33 cancer types.
- Evaluated differential expression, survival outcomes, immune cell infiltration (SangerBox, TIMER), and promoter methylation (UALCAN).
- Western blot validation in prostate and ovarian cancer cell lines.
Main Results:
- POFUT1 was significantly overexpressed in 16/33 cancer types, notably BRCA and LUAD.
- High POFUT1 expression correlated with poor overall survival (8 cancers) and disease-free survival (7 cancers).
- POFUT1 levels linked to increased myeloid-derived suppressor cells and decreased natural killer T cells, suggesting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Promoter hypomethylation was observed.
Conclusions:
- POFUT1 is a critical oncogenic factor associated with aggressive cancer, immune evasion, and poor prognosis.
- Its consistent overexpression and functional role suggest potential as a pan-cancer biomarker and therapeutic target.
- Further experimental validation is warranted for POFUT1's therapeutic potential.
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