A pan-cancer analysis has uncovered CCDC58, a mitochondrial gene associated with epilepsy, as a potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarker for various cancer types, including gliomas

Abstract

Abstract Approximately 30 percent of individuals with intracranial tumors may experience seizures. Seizures can often be the first clinical symptom of glioblastoma. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays an extremely significant role in both carcinogenesis and epilepsy. Therefore, exploring the common pathogenesis of glioma and epilepsy will help to identify potential therapeutic targets for both. We first screened the eight MitDEGs most closely related to epilepsy using the Epilepsy and Mitochondrial Gene Database, and by building a diagnostic model of the disease, we found that CCDC58 had the highest diagnostic value in epilepsy, and CCDC58 has been seldom reported in epilepsy as well as in other diseases. Therefore, we chose CCDC58 as a key molecule for subsequent pan-cancer analysis. Based on our research, CCDC58 exhibits significant expression in several types of cancer, including gliomas, and a robust correlation exists between CCDC58 expression and cancer prognosis. Age, Race, and WHO classification are among the clinicopathological characteristics that have been linked to the gene expression level of CCDC58 in gliomas. Additionally, extensive pan-cancer analyses have revealed a substantial association between the degree of immune cell infiltration into the tumor and the epilepsy-associated mitochondrial gene CCDC58, as well as important indicators such as TMB and MSI. Our in vitro experiments confirm that CCDC58 acts as an oncogene, promoting the growth, migration, and invasiveness of glioma cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that the epilepsy-associated mitochondrial gene CCDC58 shows potential as a prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarker for various cancer types, including glioma.