Comprehensive Analysis of PSME2 and Its Significant Role in Non- small cell lung cancer

Abstract

Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common subtype of lung cancer, but its mechanisms of occurrence and development remain incompletely understood. The proteasome activator complex subunit 2 (PSME2) is a member of the family of protease-activating subgenes and is strongly associated with the emergence of several cancer types. However, the role of PSME2 in NSCLC is unclear. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance and prognostic value of PSME2 expression in NSCLC progression. We utilized data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database for bioinformatic analyses. We carried out experimental validation at both the tissue and cellular levels. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and various databases, such as Kaplan-Meier Plotter (KM), STRING, Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), TIMER2.0, were used to investigate the role of PSME2 in NSCLC. Statistical analysis was performed using R (v.4.3.1). Our findings revealed the predictive significance of PSME2 in NSCLC patients. PSME2 is highly expressed in pathological tissues and cell lines of NSCLC patients. PSME2 expression was associated with patient's age, sex, tumor stage, lymph node stage, pathological stage. GSEA analysis identified associations between PSME2 and extracellular matrix organization, as well as immune-related pathways. Immunological analysis revealed a positive correlation between the level of immune cell permeation, the activation of anti-tumor immune cycle stages, and the level of PSME2 expression. Identifying PSME2 as a novel biomarker for NSCLC could shed light on the promotion of NSCLC development by the immune environment.