Molecular Subtyping Based on Cuproptosis-Related Genes and Characterization of Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma

Zhong-Hao Ji; Wen-Zhi Ren; Hao-Qi Wang; Wei Gao; Bao Yuan

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.919083

Molecular Subtyping Based on Cuproptosis-Related Genes and Characterization of Tumor Microenvironment Infiltration in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma

Front Oncol. 2022 Jul 6:12:919083. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.919083. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Zhong-Hao Ji^{1

2}, Wen-Zhi Ren¹, Hao-Qi Wang¹, Wei Gao¹, Bao Yuan¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
² Department of Basic Medicine, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China.

Abstract

The incidence of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is rising worldwide, and the prognosis is poor. Cuproptosis is a new form of cell death that is dependent on and regulated by copper ions. The relationship between cuproptosis and KIRC remains unclear. In the current study, changes in cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in TCGA-KIRC transcriptional datasets were characterized, and the expression patterns of these genes were analyzed. We identified three main molecular subtypes and discovered that multilayer CRG changes were associated with patient clinicopathological traits, prognosis, elesclomol sensitivity, and tumor microenvironment (TME) cell infiltration characteristics. Then, a CRG score was created to predict overall survival (OS). The CRG score was found to be strongly linked to the TME. These findings may help elucidate the roles of CRGs in KIRC, potentially enhancing understanding of cuproptosis and supporting the development of more effective immunotherapy strategies.

Keywords: cuproptosis; gene signature; immune status; kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC); overall survival.