KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the role of RAB13 as a biomarker for PM and its relationship with immune cell infiltration in CRC.
- Researchers noted that RAB13 may serve as a promising therapeutic target in CRC PM.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent cancer with high morbidity and mortality rates. Peritoneal metastasis (PM) represents a severe form of CRC, with limited treatment options available. The interaction between PM and immune cell infiltration adds complexity to the disease.
Fei Lv and the team aimed to identify biomarkers associated with CRCPM and explore their relationship with immune cell infiltration.
They performed an inclusive analysis to identify differently expressed genes (DEGs) and screen for hub genes using informatic tools. RAB13, a hub gene, was identified from public databases and validated in CRC tissues. The ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and TIMER algorithms were employed to analyze the correlation between RAB13 and immune cell infiltration in CRC.
The RAB13 expression was examined at the single-cell level using scRNA-Seq, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was conducted to confirm RAB13 enrichment. Additionally, the oncoPredict algorithm was used to evaluate the impact of RAB13 on drug sensitivity in patients.
The high RAB13 expression was identified in public databases and associated with poor prognosis. RAB13 was positively correlated with macrophage and other immune cell infiltration, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) revealed its presence in both CRC cells and macrophages.
GSEA demonstrated that high RAB13 expression was enriched in various biological signaling pathways. Additionally, the oncoPredict algorithm indicated that RAB13 expression was correlated with paclitaxel sensitivity.
The study concluded that RAB13 plays a significant clinical role in CRCPM, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target in the future.
The study received no funds.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39192986/
Lv F, Li X, Wang Z, et al. (2024). “Identification and validation of Rab GTPases RAB13 as biomarkers for peritoneal metastasis and immune cell infiltration in colorectal cancer patients.” Front Immunol. 2024;15:1403008. Published 2024 Aug 13. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1403008
