Background: Cuprotosis is a mode of cell death triggered by copper accumulation. There is a lack of studies on the role of cuprotosis-related lncRNA in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Methods: Expression data and corresponding clinical data of lncRNA and mRNA were sourced from TCGA database. Pearson's correlation, differential expression, univariate Cox regression, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis were performed to screen for a cuprotosis-related lncRNA signature and to evaluate its prognostic significance. A prognostic model was constructed, and patients were categorized into high- and low-risk groups according to their calculated risk scores. The model's performance was then assessed in internal training, and internal and external testing sets. The high- and low- risk groups were examined to explore their involvement in AML. The relationship between the risk score and various clinical parameters, mutational landscapes, immune cell scores, and drug sensitivity were investigated.
Results: Five cuprotosis-related lncRNAs (AC020571.3, CTD-2325M2.1, RP11-802O23.3, RP11-474N24.6, and UCA1) were identified, which were differentially expressed in AML datasets in comparison to normal controls and significantly associated with prognosis. Consistent with the results obtained from the training and testing sets, the high-risk group had a poor prognosis with good predictive power. The high- and low-risk groups differed significantly in immune-related biological processes and the IC50 values of WH-4.023, mitomycin C, navitoclaxin, and PD-0325901.
Conclusion: Five cuprotosis-related lncRNA signatures were screened as prognostic predictors to provide new insights into lncRNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for AML.
Keywords: Acute myeloid leukaemia; cuprotosis; lncRNA; prognostic model.