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PMID: 34473751 Published · epublish English Journal Article

Novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of colorectal cancer: Capable to overcome the heterogeneity-specific barrier and valid for global applications.

PloS one ·Vol. 16 ·No. 9 ·2021-00-00 ·Pages e0256020

Hameed Y, Usman M, Liang S, Ejaz S

Abstract

The heterogeneity-specific nature of the available colorectal cancer (CRC) biomarkers is significantly contributing to the cancer-associated high mortality rate worldwide. Hence, this study was initiated to investigate a system of novel CRC biomarkers that could commonly be employed to the CRC patients and helpful to overcome the heterogenetic-specific barrier. Initially, CRC-related hub genes were extracted through PubMed based literature mining. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the extracted hub genes was constructed and analyzed to identify few more closely CRC-related hub genes (real hub genes). Later, a comprehensive bioinformatics approach was applied to uncover the diagnostic and prognostic role of the identified real hub genes in CRC patients of various clinicopathological features. Out of 210 collected hub genes, in total 6 genes (CXCL12, CXCL8, AGT, GNB1, GNG4, and CXCL1) were identified as the real hub genes. We further revealed that all the six real hub genes were significantly dysregulated in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) patients of various clinicopathological features including different races, cancer stages, genders, age groups, and body weights. Additionally, the dysregulation of real hub genes has shown different abnormal correlations with many other parameters including promoter methylation, overall survival (OS), genetic alterations and copy number variations (CNVs), and CD8+T immune cells level. Finally, we identified a potential miRNA and various chemotherapeutic drugs via miRNA, and real hub genes drug interaction network that could be used in the treatment of CRC by regulating the expression of real hub genes. In conclusion, we have identified six real hub genes as potential biomarkers of CRC patients that could help to overcome the heterogenetic-specific barrier across different clinicopathological features.

MeSH Terms
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics Colorectal Neoplasms/diagnosis,genetics,metabolism Computational Biology/methods DNA Copy Number Variations Databases, Genetic Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic Gene Regulatory Networks Humans MicroRNAs/genetics Prognosis Protein Interaction Maps Survival Rate
Chemicals
Biomarkers, Tumor MicroRNAs
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Hameed Yasir
Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Usman Muhammad
Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Liang Shufang
State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, P.R. China.
Ejaz Samina ORCID
Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Conflict of Interest

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Article Info
Journal
PloS one
Abbr.
PLoS One
ISSN
1932-6203
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0256020
Published
2021-00-00
Epub
2021-00-02
Pages
e0256020
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
101285081
PMCID
PMC8412268
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256020 PMC Full Text View journal details
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