TMEM173 is a biomarker of predicting prognosis, immune responses and therapeutic effect in human Lung Adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Abstract The role of Transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) in predicting the prognosis and response to treatment in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain unclear. We found that the expression level of TMEM173 in LUAD tissues was significantly decreased and high TMEM173 expression is associated with better overall survival in LUAD patients. TMEM173 was mainly enriched in immune response-regulating signaling pathway, T cell activation and cell cycle G2/M phase. Furthermore, it was found that TMEM173 expression was positively related to markers and infiltration levels of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. TMEM173 could predict response to targeted therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy in LUAD patients. In vitro knockdown TMEM173 decreased the percentage of G2 phase cells, contributing to the increased growth of lung cancer cells. TMEM173 might be a prognostic biomarker and a potential target of precision therapy for LUAD patients.