TP53 dysregulation in Wilms tumor: an integrative clinico-genomic analysis and its prognostic implications

TP53 (OMIM: 191170) is an important tumor suppressor gene. Alterations in TP53 are associated with aggressive tumor development across multiple cancer types. The genetic and regulatory landscape of TP53 in Wilms Tumor (WT) remains incompletely characterized. This study utilized a publicly available genomic dataset from cBioPortal to investigate TP53 alterations, frequencies of copy number changes, mutation hotspots, and epigenetic regulations in samples derived from patients with WT. Genomic analyses revealed TP53 alterations in approximately 2% of tumor samples, consisting of missense mutations, truncating mutations, and deep deletions. DNA methylation analysis demonstrated a moderate inverse correlation between methylation levels and TP53 mRNA expression, which suggests potential epigenetic silencing. Network investigations identified several genes associated with TP53 signalling pathways, highlighting its role as a central regulatory hub. Survival analysis found that patients harbouring TP53 alterations had significantly poorer overall survival. The mutation status of TP53 may serve as a prognostic biomarker and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention.