Identification of immunogenic cell death-related prognostic genes in gastric cancer

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is an important regulatory form of cell death, which can trigger anti-tumor immune responses and plays a crucial role in the development of cancer. Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Currently, there is still a need to explore effective prognostic markers for clinical risk stratification. Therefore, this study aims to identify key prognostic genes related to ICD and construct a novel prognostic signature for the prognosis assessment of GC.

Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis was performed to identify distinct cell subpopulations and key cell types. Various analytical approaches, including differential expression analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox analysis, were used to pinpoint prognostic genes in GC samples. A prognostic model was developed based on these genes to predict the survival outcomes of GC patients. Furthermore, a nomogram was created based on independent prognostic factors to estimate the survival probability for these patients.

A total of 10 distinct cell subpopulations were annotated, with CD8+ natural killer T-like (NKT-like) cells as key cells for GC. Through comprehensive analysis, five prognostic genes-CXCR4, GLUL, GLIPR1, RAB8B, and TAP1-were identified, and the prognostic model was constructed based on these genes stratified GC samples into distinct risk groups by risk scores. Results highlighted that GC patients in the high risk patients possessed shorter survival times. Furthermore, a nomogram created using independent prognostic factors (risk score, age, and N/M stages) demonstrated predictive capability for the survival of GC patients.

We identified five ICD-related prognostic genes-CXCR4, GLUL, GLIPR1, RAB8B, and TAP1-as potential targets for GC samples, offering new insights for the diagnosis and treatment of GC patients.