SUMOylation Pattern Predicts Prognosis and Indicates Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration Characterization in Bladder Cancer

Impacts of Nutlin-3a and exercise on murine double minute 2-enriched glioma treatment

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202504000-00029/figure1/v/2024-07-06T104127Z/r/image-tiff Recent research has demonstrated the impact of physical activity on the prognosis of glioma patients, with evidence suggesting exercise may reduce mortality risks and aid neural regeneration. The role of the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) protein, especially post-exercise, in cancer progression, is gaining attention, as are the potential anti-cancer effects of SUMOylation. We used machine learning to create the exercise and SUMO-related gene signature (ESLRS). This signature shows how physical activity might help improve the outlook for low-grade glioma and other cancers. We demonstrated the prognostic and immunotherapeutic significance of ESLRS markers, specifically highlighting how murine double minute 2 (MDM2), a component of the ESLRS, can be targeted by nutlin-3. This underscores the intricate relationship between natural compounds such as nutlin-3 and immune regulation. Using comprehensive CRISPR screening, we validated the effects of specific ESLRS genes on low-grade glioma progression. We also revealed insights into the effectiveness of Nutlin-3a as a potent MDM2 inhibitor through molecular docking and dynamic simulation. Nutlin-3a inhibited glioma cell proliferation and activated the p53 pathway. Its efficacy decreased with MDM2 overexpression, and this was reversed by Nutlin-3a or exercise. Experiments using a low-grade glioma mouse model highlighted the effect of physical activity on oxidative stress and molecular pathway regulation. Notably, both physical exercise and Nutlin-3a administration improved physical function in mice bearing tumors derived from MDM2-overexpressing cells. These results suggest the potential for Nutlin-3a, an MDM2 inhibitor, with physical exercise as a therapeutic approach for glioma management. Our research also supports the use of natural products for therapy and sheds light on the interaction of exercise, natural products, and immune regulation in cancer treatment.

SUMOylation of SETD8 Promotes Tumor Growth by Methylating and Stabilizing MYC in Bladder Cancer

Aberrant transcriptional and epigenetic landscape plays crucial roles in the progression of bladder cancer (BC). However, effective therapeutic targets derived from these processes remain undeveloped. This study pinpoints SET-domain-containing protein 8 (SETD8) as a pivotal gene that promotes bladder tumor growth through a screening with a CRISPR-Cas9 library targeting transcriptional and epigenetic factors. BC patient samples display elevated SETD8 protein expression, and higher expression of SETD8 correlates with poorer prognosis. Further, MYC is identified as a novel substrate for SETD8. Specifically, SETD8 methylates MYC at lysine 412 (K412), disrupting the interaction between MYC and the E3 ubiquitin ligase CHIP, which results in MYC stabilization and ultimately promotes tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, this study uncovers that SUMOylation of SETD8 leads to SETD8 stabilization. The SUMOylated SETD8 further enhances MYC methylation and stabilization via SUMO-SIM interaction. Knocking down SETD8 or using the SETD8 specific inhibitor UNC0379 substantially reduces the protein level of MYC and inhibits the bladder tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide strong support for the idea that targeting the SETD8/MYC axis offers a promising therapeutic approach for BC patient.

Targeted inhibition of SUMOylation: treatment of tumors

SUMOylation is a dynamic and reversible post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins involved in the regulation of biological processes such as protein homeostasis, DNA repair and cell cycle in normal and tumor cells. In particular, overexpression of SUMOylation components in tumor cells increases the activity of intracellular SUMOylation, protects target proteins against ubiquitination degradation and activation, promoting tumor cell proliferation and metastasis, providing immune evasion and increasing tolerance to chemotherapy and antitumor drugs. However, with the continuous research on SUMOylation and with the continued development of SUMOylation inhibitors, it has been found that tumor initiation and progression can be inhibited by blocking SUMOylation and/or in combination with drugs. SUMOylation is not a bad target when trying to treat tumor. This review introduces SUMOylation cycle pathway and summarizes the role of SUMOylation in tumor initiation and progression and SUMOylation inhibitors and their functions in tumors and provides a prospective view of SUMOylation as a new therapeutic target for tumors.

MITF regulates the subcellular location of HIF1α through SUMOylation to promote the invasion and metastasis of daughter cells derived from polyploid giant cancer cells

High concentrations of cobalt chloride (CoCl2) can induce the formation of polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) in various tumors, which can produce daughter cells with strong proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities via asymmetric division. To study the role of hypoxia‑inducible factor (HIF) 1α in the formation of PGCCs, colon cancer cell lines Hct116 and LoVo were used as experimental subjects. Western blotting, nuclear and cytoplasmic protein extraction and immunocytochemical experiments were used to compare the changes in the expression and subcellular localization of HIF1α, microphthalmia‑associated transcription factor (MITF), protein inhibitor of activated STAT protein 4 (PIAS4) and von Hippel‑Lindau disease tumor suppressor (VHL) after treatment with CoCl2. The SUMOylation of HIFα was verified by co‑immunoprecipitation assay. After inhibiting HIF1α SUMOylation, the changes in proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of Hct116 and LoVo were compared by plate colony formation, wound healing and Transwell migration and invasion. In addition, lysine sites that led to SUMOylation of HIF1α were identified through site mutation experiments. The results showed that CoCl2 can induce the formation of PGCCs with the expression level of HIF1α higher in treated cells than in control cells. HIF1α was primarily located in the cytoplasm of control cell. Following CoCl2 treatment, the subcellular localization of HIF1α was primarily in the nuclei of PGCCs with daughter cells (PDCs). After treatment with SUMOylation inhibitors, the nuclear HIF1α expression in PDCs decreased. Furthermore, their proliferation, migration and invasion abilities also decreased. After inhibiting the expression of MITF, the expression of HIF1α decreased. MITF can regulate HIF1α SUMOylation. Expression and subcellular localization of VHL and HIF1α did not change following PIAS4 knockdown. SUMOylation of HIF1α occurs at the amino acid sites K391 and K477 in PDCs. After mutation of the two sites, nuclear expression of HIF1α in PDCs was reduced, along with a significant reduction in the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities. In conclusion, the post‑translation modification regulated the subcellular location of HIF1α and the nuclear expression of HIF1α promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of PDCs. MITF could regulate the transcription and protein levels of HIF1α and participate in the regulation of HIF1α SUMOylation.

Independent prognostic value of CLDN6 in bladder cancer based on M2 macrophages related signature

M2 macrophages are associated with the prognosis of bladder cancer. CLDN6 has been linked to immune infiltration and is crucial for predicting the prognosis in multi-tumor. The effect of CLDN6 on M2 macrophages in bladder cancer remains elusive. Here, we compared a total of 40 machine learning algorithms, then selected optimal algorithm to develop M2 macrophages-related signature (MMRS) based on the identified M2 macrophages related module. MMRS predicted the prognosis better than other models and associated to immunotherapy response. CLDN6, as an important variable in MMRS, was an independent factor for poor prognosis. We found that CLDN6 was highly expressed and affected immune infiltration, immunotherapy response, and M2 macrophages polarization. Meanwhile, CLDN6 promoted the growth of bladder cancer and enhanced the carcinogenic effect by inducing polarization of M2 macrophages. In total, CLDN6 is an independent risk factor in MMRS to predict the prognosis of bladder cancer.

Establishment of a novel indicator of pyroptosis regulated gene transcription level and its application in pan-cancer

Pyroptosis is a type of programmed cell death and plays a dual role in distinct cancers. It is elusive to evaluate the activation level of pyroptosis and to appraise the involvement of pyroptosis in the occurrence and development of diverse tumors. Accordingly, we herein established an indicator to evaluate pyroptosis related gene transcription levels based on the expression level of genes involved in pyroptosis and tried to elaborated on the association between pyroptosis and tumors across diverse tumor types. We found that pyroptosis related gene transcription levels could predict the prognosis of patients, which could act as either a favorable or a dreadful factor in diverse cancers. According to signaling pathway analyses we observed that pyroptosis played a significant role in immune regulation and tumorigenesis and had strong links with other forms of cell death. We also performed analysis on the crosstalk between pyroptosis and immune status and further investigated the predictive potential of pyroptosis level for the efficacy of immunotherapy. Lastly, we manifested that pyroptosis status could serve as a biomarker to the efficacy of chemotherapy across various cancers. In summary, this study established a quantitative indicator to evaluate pyroptosis related gene transcription levels, systematically explored the role of pyroptosis in pan-cancer. These results could provide potential research directions targeting pyroptosis, and highlighted that pyroptosis may be used to develop a novel strategy for the treatment of cancer.

The Prognosis-Predictive and Immunoregulatory Role of SUMOylation Related Genes: Potential Novel Targets in Prostate Cancer Treatment

SUMOylation is an important part of post-translational protein modifications and regulates thousands of proteins in a dynamic manner. The dysregulation of SUMOylation is detected in many cancers. However, the comprehensive role of SUMOylation in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. Using 174 SUMOylation-related genes (SRGs) from the MigDSB database and the transcript data of PCa from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), we constructed a SUMOylation-related risk score and correlated it with prognosis, tumor mutation burden (TMB), tumor microenvironment (TME) infiltration, and response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Moreover, we validated two vital SRGs by RT-qPCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Two vital SRGs (DNMT3B and NUP210) were finally selected. The risk score based on these genes exhibited excellent predictive efficacy in predicting the biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa. A nomogram involving the risk score and T stage was established to further explore the clinical value of the risk score. We found the high-score group was correlated with worse prognosis, higher TMB, a more suppressive immune microenvironment, and a better response to Docetaxel but worse to PD-1/CTLA-4 blockade. Meanwhile, we validated the significantly higher expression level of NUP210 in PCa at mRNA and protein levels. This study elucidated the comprehensive role of SUMOylation-related genes in PCa. Importantly, we highlighted the role of an important SRG, NUP210, in PCa, which might be a promising target in PCa treatment. A better understanding of SUMOylation and utilizing the SUMOylation risk score could aid in precision medicine and improve the prognosis of PCa.

Paradoxes of Cellular SUMOylation Regulation: A Role of Biomolecular Condensates?

Protein SUMOylation is a major post-translational modification essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis. SUMOylation has long been associated with stress responses as a diverse array of cellular stress signals are known to trigger rapid alternations in global protein SUMOylation. In addition, while there are large families of ubiquitination enzymes, all small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMOs) are conjugated by a set of enzymatic machinery comprising one heterodimeric SUMO-activating enzyme, a single SUMO-conjugating enzyme, and a small number of SUMO protein ligases and SUMO-specific proteases. How a few SUMOylation enzymes specifically modify thousands of functional targets in response to diverse cellular stresses remains an enigma. Here we review recent progress toward understanding the mechanisms of SUMO regulation, particularly the potential roles of liquid-liquid phase separation/biomolecular condensates in regulating cellular SUMOylation during cellular stresses. In addition, we discuss the role of protein SUMOylation in pathogenesis and the development of novel therapeutics targeting SUMOylation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Protein SUMOylation is one of the most prevalent post-translational modifications and plays a vital role in maintaining cellular homeostasis in response to stresses. Protein SUMOylation has been implicated in human pathogenesis, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration, and infection. After more than a quarter century of extensive research, intriguing enigmas remain regarding the mechanism of cellular SUMOylation regulation and the therapeutic potential of targeting SUMOylation.

Pyrimidine metabolism regulator-mediated molecular subtypes display tumor microenvironmental hallmarks and assist precision treatment in bladder cancer

Background

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a common urinary system malignancy with a significant morbidity and death rate worldwide. Non-muscle invasive BLCA accounts for over 75% of all BLCA cases. The imbalance of tumor metabolic pathways is associated with tumor formation and proliferation. Pyrimidine metabolism (PyM) is a complex enzyme network that incorporates nucleoside salvage, de novo nucleotide synthesis, and catalytic pyrimidine degradation. Metabolic reprogramming is linked to clinical prognosis in several types of cancer. However, the role of pyrimidine metabolism Genes (PyMGs) in the BLCA-fighting process remains poorly understood.

Methods

Predictive PyMGs were quantified in BLCA samples from the TCGA and GEO datasets. TCGA and GEO provided information on stemness indices (mRNAsi), gene mutations, CNV, TMB, and corresponding clinical features. The prediction model was built using Lasso regression. Co-expression analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between gene expression and PyM.

Results

PyMGs were overexpressed in the high-risk sample in the absence of other clinical symptoms, demonstrating their predictive potential for BLCA outcome. Immunological and tumor-related pathways were identified in the high-risk group by GSWA. Immune function and m6a gene expression varied significantly between the risk groups. In BLCA patients, DSG1, C6orf15, SOST, SPRR2A, SERPINB7, MYBPH, and KRT1 may participate in the oncology process. Immunological function and m6a gene expression differed significantly between the two groups. The prognostic model, CNVs, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and drug sensitivity all showed significant gene connections.

Conclusions

BLCA-associated PyMGs are available to provide guidance in the prognostic and immunological setting and give evidence for the formulation of PyM-related molecularly targeted treatments. PyMGs and their interactions with immune cells in BLCA may serve as therapeutic targets.

The emerging roles of SUMOylation in the tumor microenvironment and therapeutic implications

Tumor initiation, progression, and response to therapies depend to a great extent on interactions between malignant cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME), which denotes the cancerous/non-cancerous cells, cytokines, chemokines, and various other factors around tumors. Cancer cells as well as stroma cells can not only obtain adaption to the TME but also sculpt their microenvironment through a series of signaling pathways. The post-translational modification (PTM) of eukaryotic cells by small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) proteins is now recognized as a key flexible pathway. Proteins involved in tumorigenesis guiding several biological processes including chromatin organization, DNA repair, transcription, protein trafficking, and signal conduction rely on SUMOylation. The purpose of this review is to explore the role that SUMOylation plays in the TME formation and reprogramming, emphasize the importance of targeting SUMOylation to intervene in the TME and discuss the potential of SUMOylation inhibitors (SUMOi) in ameliorating tumor prognosis.

Tertiary lymphoid structure patterns aid in identification of tumor microenvironment infiltration and selection of therapeutic agents in bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are emerging as a potential predictor of prognosis and response to immunotherapy in some solid tumors. However, the comprehensive role of TLSs in bladder cancer remains unclear.

METHODS

Eighteen bladder cancer (BCa) datasets were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), ArratyExpress and IMvigor210. Based on 39 validated TLS signature genes (TSGs), we evaluated the TLS patterns in all patients, and correlated the TLS patterns with prognosis and tumor microenvironment (TME) cell-infiltrating characteristics. The cox regression model and principal component analysis (PCA) algorithms were used to construct the TLS score, which helps to quantify the TLS pattern in individuals.

RESULTS

The landscape of 39 validated TSGs in BCa was assessed first. Five distinct TLS patterns and four gene clusters were determined. TLS cluster C2 and gene cluster A were thought to be characterized by mature TLSs and showed better prognosis and higher immune cells infiltration than other clusters. The TLS score was discovered to be tightly correlated with the infiltration level of immune cells, and could predict the maturation status of TLSs to some extent. We found TLS score was an excellent predictor for prognosis in patients with BCa independent of tumor mutation burden (TMB), and low TLS score was related to better prognosis than high TLS score. Besides, low TLS score was correlated with a better response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy and commonly used chemotherapy drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work demonstrated the characteristics of TLSs in BCa. By using the TLS score, we could evaluate the TLS pattern in individuals. Better understanding of TLS pattern and the usage of TLS score could help instruct clinical strategy and precision medicine for BCa.

A Novel m7G-Related Genes-Based Signature with Prognostic Value and Predictive Ability to Select Patients Responsive to Personalized Treatment Strategies in Bladder Cancer

Although N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification serves as a tumor promoter in bladder cancer (BLCA), the comprehensive role of m7G-related characterization in BLCA remains unclear. In this study, we systematically evaluated the m7G-related clusters of 760 BLCA patients through consensus unsupervised clustering analysis. Next, we investigated the underlying m7G-related genes among these m7G-related clusters. Univariate Cox and LASSO regressions were used for screening out prognostic genes and for reducing the dimension, respectively. Finally, we developed a novel m7G-related scoring system via the GSVA algorithm. The correlation between tumor microenvironment, prediction of personalized therapies and this m7G-related signature was gradually revealed. We first identified three m7G-related clusters and 1108 differentially expressed genes relevant to the three clusters. Based on the profile of 1108 genes, we divided BLCA patients into two clusters, which were quantified by our established m7G-related scoring system. Patients with higher m7G-related scores tended to have a better OS and more chances to benefit from immunotherapy. A significantly negative connection between sensitivity to classic chemotherapeutic drugs and m7G-related signature was uncovered. In summary, our data show that m7G-related characterization of BLCA patients can be of value for prognostic stratification and for patient-oriented therapeutic options, designing personalized treatment strategies in the preclinical setting.

N7-methylguanosine-related lncRNAs: Distinction between hot and cold tumors and construction of predictive models in colon adenocarcinoma

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a prevalent malignant tumor that severely threatens human health across the globe. Immunotherapy is an essential need for patients with COAD. N7-methylguanosine (m7G) has been associated with human diseases, and non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate various tumor-related biological processes. Nonetheless, the m7G-related lncRNAs involved in COAD regulation are limited. This study aims to construct the clustering features and prognostic model of m7G-related lncRNAs in COAD. First, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to identify m7G-related differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), based on which COAD cases could be classified into two subtypes. Subsequently, univariate Cox analysis was used to identify 9 prognostic m7G-related lncRNAs. Further, Five candidates were screened by LASSO-Cox regression to develop new models. The patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the median risk score. Consequently, the Kaplan-Meier survival curve demonstrated a statistically significant overall survival (OS) between the high- and low-risk groups (P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that risk score is an independent prognostic factor in COAD patients (P<0.001). This confirms the clinical applicability of the model. Additionally, we performed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), which uncovered the biological and functional differences between risk subgroups, i.e., enrichment of immune-related diseases in the high-risk group and enrichment of metabolic-related pathways in the low-risk group. In a drug sensitivity analysis, high-risk group were more sensitive to some chemotherapeutics and targeted drugs than low-risk group. Eventually, the stability of the model was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Our study unraveled the features of different immune states of COAD and established a prognostic model, including five m7G-related lncRNAs for COAD patients. These results will bolster clinical treatment and survival prediction of COAD.

Identification and verification of the pyroptosis-related prognostic signature and its associated regulatory axis in bladder cancer

Background: Pyroptosis is an inflammatory form of cell death triggered by certain inflammasomes. Accumulating studies have shown the involvement of pyroptosis in the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis and prognosis of cancer. The prognostic value of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) and their association with immune infiltration in bladder cancer have not yet been elucidated.

Methods: We performed a comprehensive analysis of the prognostic value and immune infiltrates of PRGs in bladder cancer using the TCGA dataset. qRT-PCR was also performed to verify our result.

Results: Among 33 PRGs, 14 PRGs were upregulated or downregulated in bladder cancer tissue versus normal tissue. We also summarized copy number variations and somatic mutations of PRGs in bladder cancer. By using consensus clustering analysis of PRGs with prognostic significance, we divided the bladder cancer cohort into two subtypes significantly by different prognosis and immune infiltration. Using the LASSO Cox regression analysis, a prognostic signature including six PRGs was constructed for bladder cancer and the patients could be classified into a low- or high-risk group. Interestingly, this prognostic signature had a favorable performance for predicting the prognosis of bladder cancer patients. Moreover, further analysis demonstrated a significant difference in gender, tumor grade, clinical stage, TNM stage, immunoScore, and immune cell infiltration between the high- and low-risk groups in bladder cancer. We also identified an lncRNA SNHG14/miR-20a-5p/CASP8 regulatory axis in bladder cancer by constructing a ceRNA network.

Conclusion: We identified a PRG-associated prognostic signature associated with the prognosis and immune infiltrates for bladder cancer and targeting pyroptosis may be an alternative approach for therapy. Further vivo and vitro experiments are necessary to verify these results.

Autophagy-related prognostic signature characterizes tumor microenvironment and predicts response to ferroptosis in gastric cancer

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is an important disease and the fifth most common malignancy worldwide. Autophagy is an important process for the turnover of intracellular substances. Autophagy-related genes (ARGs) are crucial in cancer. Accumulating evidence indicates the clinicopathological significance of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in predicting prognosis and treatment efficacy.

Methods

Clinical and gene expression data of GC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. A total of 22 genes with differences in expression and prognosis were screened from 232 ARGs. Three autophagy patterns were identified using an unsupervised clustering algorithm and scored using principal component analysis to predict the value of autophagy in the prognosis of GC patients. Finally, the relationship between autophagy and ferroptosis was validated in gastric cancer cells.

Results

The expression of ARGs showed obvious heterogeneity in GC patients. Three autophagy patterns were identified and used to predict the overall survival of GC patients. These three patterns were well-matched with the immunophenotype. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology enrichment analyses showed that the biological functions of the three autophagy patterns were different. A scoring system was then set up to quantify the autophagy model and further evaluate the response of the patients to the immunotherapy. Patients with high autophagy scores had a more severe tumor mutation burden and better prognosis. High autophagy scores were accompanied by high microsatellite instability. Patients with high autophagy scores had significantly higher PD-L1 expression and increased survival. The experimental results confirmed that the expression of ferroptosis genes was positively correlated with the expression of autophagy genes in different autophagy clusters, and inhibition of autophagy dramatically reversed the decrease in ferroptotic cell death and lipid accumulation.

Conclusions

Autophagy patterns are involved in TME diversity and complexity. Autophagy score can be used as an independent prognostic biomarker in GC patients and to predict the effect of immunotherapy and ferroptosis-based therapy. This might benefit individualized treatment for GC.

m7G-Associated subtypes, tumor microenvironment, and validation of prognostic signature in lung adenocarcinoma

Background: 7-Methylguanosine (m7G) is an important posttranscriptional modification that regulates gene expression and is involved in tumorigenesis and development. Tumor microenvironment has been proven to be highly involved in tumor progression and prognosis. However, how m7G-associated genes affect the tumor microenvironment of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains to be further clarified.

Methods: The genetic alterations of m7G-associated genes and their associations with the prognosis and tumor microenvironment in LUAD patients were systemically analyzed. An m7G-Riskscore was established and analyzed for its performance in disease prognosis and association with patient response to immunotherapy. Expression of the model genes at the protein level was investigated through ex vivo experiments. A nomogram was finally obtained based on the m7G-Riskscore and several significant clinical pathological features.

Results: m7G-Associated genes were obtained from five LUAD datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, and their expression pattern was determined. Based on the m7G-associated genes, three LUAD clusters were defined. The differentially expressed genes from the three clusters were screened and used to further divide the LUAD patients into two gene clusters. It was demonstrated that the alterations of m7G-associated genes were associated with the clinical pathological features, prognosis, and tumor immune infiltration in LUAD patients. An m7G-Riskscore including CAND1, RRM2, and SLC2A1 was obtained with robust and accurate prognostic performance. WB and cell immunofluorescence also showed significant dysregulation of CAND1, RRM2, and SLC2A1 in LUAD. In addition, a nomogram was established to improve the clinical feasibility of the m7G-Riskscore. Correlation analysis revealed that patients with a lower m7G-Riskscore had higher immune and stromal scores, responded well to chemotherapeutics and multiple targeted drugs, and survived longer. Patients with a higher m7G-Riskscore tended to suffer from a higher tumor mutation burden. Furthermore, the m7G-Riskscore exhibited significant associations with immune cell infiltration and cancer stemness.

Conclusion: This study systemically analyzed m7G-associated genes and identified their potential role in tumor microenvironment and prognosis in patients with LUAD. The findings of the present study may help better understand LUAD from the m7G perspective and also provide a new thought toward the prognosis and treatment of LUAD.