Lamin B1: a novel biomarker in adult and pediatric adrenocortical carcinoma

Abstract

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a malignancy with a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. A high tumor mutational burden (TMB) has been found to be associated with poor prognosis in ACC. Thus, exploring ACC biomarkers based on TMB holds significant importance for patient risk stratification. In our research, we utilized weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) to identify genes associated with TMB. Through the comprehensive analysis of various public datasets, Lamin B1 (LMNB1) was identified as a biomarker associated with a high TMB and low chromatin accessibility. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated high expression of LMNB1 in ACC compared to non-cancerous tissues. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that the function of LMNB1 is associated with cell proliferation and division. Furthermore, cell assays suggested that LMNB1 promotes tumor proliferation and invasion. In addition, mutation analysis suggested that the high expression of LMNB1 is associated with TP53 mutations. Additionally, LMNB1 was highly expressed in the vast majority of solid tumors across cancers. In our immune analysis, we discovered that the high expression of LMNB1 might suppress the infiltration of CD8+ T cells in the ACC microenvironment. In summary, LMNB1 is a predictive factor for the poor prognosis of adult and pediatric ACC. Its high expression in ACC is positively associated with high TMB and lower chromatin accessibility, and it promotes ACC cell proliferation and invasion. Therefore, LMNB1 holds promise as a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for ACC.