Abstract
Background
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is implicated in tumorigenesis and progression, yet its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unexplored. This study aims to identify LLPS-associated genes in OSCC and develop a prognostic assessment model.
Methods
We analyzed 334 OSCC and 32 normal samples from the TCGA-HNSC cohort. Inclusion criteria encompassed histologically verified primary OSCC, mRNA profiles, and pertinent clinical data, while samples with no survival status or survival time less than 30 days were excluded. The final cohort consisted of 297 OSCC patients with complete data on age, gender, TNM staging, and grading. We utilized single-cell sequencing data from GEO (GSE103322), with GSE42743 as the validation cohort. LLPS-related genes from DrLLPS were employed, and key genes were identified through weighted co-expression network and clustering analysis. Prognostic models were developed using Coxboost, Lasso regression, and Stepcox regression. Additionally, immune infiltration analysis was conducted to study the immune microenvironment of OSCC.
Results
The study established a predictive model based on eight LLPS-related genes in OSCC (VRK1, PLK1, POLE2, ESCO2, NEIL3, CENPI, GAS2L3, STIL). OSCC patients were stratified into two groups: high-risk and low-risk, with the high-risk group exhibiting significantly poorer prognosis (p < 0.05). Furthermore, notable differences in the immune environment were also observed between the groups.
Conclusions
This study identified eight LLPS-associated genes critical for OSCC prognosis and immune status, leading to the development of a predictive model. This research holds significance for advancing OSCC diagnosis and treatment strategies.