Mitochondrial Pathway Signature (MitoPS) predicts immunotherapy response and reveals NDUFB10 as a key immune regulator in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have brought new treatment options for advanced patients, a considerable proportion still shows limited response. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a crucial role in tumor development and immune evasion, but its regulatory mechanisms in LUAD immune microenvironment remain unclear.

METHODS

We integrated 149 mitochondria-related pathways (1,136 coding proteins) to develop and validate the Mitochondrial Pathway Signature (MitoPS) using machine learning approaches across seven independent LUAD cohorts (n=1,231). The system was systematically compared with 129 published LUAD prognostic signatures and validated in seven immunotherapy cohorts (n=451). Multiomics analysis, immunofluorescence staining, and experimental validation were performed to investigate its molecular mechanism.

RESULTS

MitoPS demonstrated consistent predictive performance across validation cohorts, with high scores indicating poor prognosis, outperforming 129 existing prognostic models. In immunotherapy cohorts, MitoPS reliably predicted treatment response and prognosis. Immune microenvironment analysis revealed that low MitoPS scores correlated with higher immune cell infiltration and active immune function. Mechanistic studies identified mitochondria-related gene NDUFB10 as a core gene of MitoPS (r=0.38, p<0.05), where its high expression was significantly associated with immune desert phenotype and worse prognosis. Functional experiments confirmed that NDUFB10 knockdown significantly enhanced ICIs therapy and increased GZMB+CD8+T cell infiltration, indicating NDUFB10's crucial role in regulating tumor immune microenvironment and immunotherapy response.

CONCLUSION

The MitoPS scoring system reliably predicts prognosis and immunotherapy response in patients with LUAD, providing a novel reference for clinical decision-making. Furthermore, its core gene NDUFB10 regulates tumor immune microenvironment, offering a potential therapeutic target for improving immunotherapy outcomes.