Zhang Yuezhou, Zhang Zhao, Dong Jinxin, Liu Changan
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
Oncol Res. 2024 Dec 20;33(1):83-102. doi: 10.32604/or.2024.055866. eCollection 2025.
Aberrant expression of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) has been linked to a variety of diseases, including hematological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and multiple types of cancer. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (HNRNPC), a member belonging to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) family, plays a pivotal role in nucleic acid metabolism. Previous studies have underscored the significance of HNRNPC in tumorigenesis; however, its specific role in malignant tumor progression remains inadequately characterized.
We leveraged publicly available databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), to explore the potential involvement of HNRNPC across various cancers. Additionally, we performed experimental validation studies focused on liver cancer.
Our analysis revealed that HNRNPC is overexpressed in a wide range of common malignancies, including liver and lung cancers, and is strongly linked to unfavorable outcomes. Furthermore, HNRNPC was observed to be closely linked to tumor immunity. Through immune checkpoint analysis and immune cell infiltration assessment, HNRNPC emerged as a potential target for modulating tumor immunotherapy. Notably, silencing of HNRNPC markedly inhibited the proliferation, metastasis, and infiltration of liver cancer cells.
In summary, our findings highlight HNRNPC as a prognostic marker in various cancers, including liver cancer, and suggest its involvement in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment. These insights offer potential avenues for improving clinical outcomes in tumors with elevated HNRNPC expression, particularly through immunotherapeutic strategies.
RNA结合蛋白（RBPs）的异常表达与多种疾病相关，包括血液系统疾病、心血管疾病和多种癌症。异质性细胞核核糖核蛋白C（HNRNPC）是异质性细胞核核糖核蛋白（hnRNP）家族的成员，在核酸代谢中起关键作用。先前的研究强调了HNRNPC在肿瘤发生中的重要性；然而，其在恶性肿瘤进展中的具体作用仍未得到充分阐明。
我们利用包括癌症基因组图谱（TCGA）在内的公开可用数据库，探索HNRNPC在各种癌症中的潜在作用。此外，我们进行了以肝癌为重点的实验验证研究。
我们的分析表明，HNRNPC在包括肝癌和肺癌在内的多种常见恶性肿瘤中过度表达，并且与不良预后密切相关。此外，观察到HNRNPC与肿瘤免疫密切相关。通过免疫检查点分析和免疫细胞浸润评估，HNRNPC成为调节肿瘤免疫治疗的潜在靶点。值得注意的是，沉默HNRNPC可显著抑制肝癌细胞的增殖、转移和浸润。
总之，我们的研究结果突出了HNRNPC作为包括肝癌在内的各种癌症的预后标志物，并表明其参与塑造肿瘤免疫微环境。这些见解为改善HNRNPC表达升高的肿瘤的临床结局提供了潜在途径，特别是通过免疫治疗策略。
