Integrative analysis identified two subtypes and a taurine-related signature to predict the prognosis and efficacy of immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Qingsong Lu; Yu Lou; Xiaozhen Zhang; Hanshen Yang; Yan Chen; Hanjia Zhang; Tingbo Liang; Xueli Bai

Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal (Jan 2023)

Integrative analysis identified two subtypes and a taurine-related signature to predict the prognosis and efficacy of immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Qingsong Lu,
Yu Lou,
Xiaozhen Zhang,
Hanshen Yang,
Yan Chen,
Hanjia Zhang,
Tingbo Liang,
Xueli Bai

Affiliations

Qingsong Lu: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
Yu Lou: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
Xiaozhen Zhang: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
Hanshen Yang: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
Yan Chen: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
Hanjia Zhang: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
Tingbo Liang: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
Xueli Bai: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Innovation Center for the Study of Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for the Study of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Center for Healthcare Data Science, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China; Corresponding author at: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 21
pp. 5561 – 5582

Abstract

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent subtypes of primary liver cancer, with high mortality and poor prognosis. Immunotherapy has revolutionized treatment strategies for many cancers. However, only a subset of patients with HCC achieve satisfactory benefits from immunotherapy. Therefore, a reliable biomarker that could predict the prognosis and immunotherapy response in patients with HCC is urgently needed. Taurine plays an important role in many physiological processes. However, its participation in the occurrence and progression of liver cancer and regulation of the composition and function of various components of the immune microenvironment remains elusive. In this study, we identified and validated two heterogeneous subtypes of HCC with different taurine metabolic profiles, presenting distinct genomic features, clinicopathological characteristics, and immune landscapes, using multiple bulk transcriptome datasets. Subsequently, we constructed a risk model based on genes related to taurine metabolism to assess the prognosis, immune cell infiltration, immunotherapy response, and drug sensitivity of patients with HCC. The risk model was validated using several independent external cohorts and showed a robust predictive performance. In addition, we evaluated the expression patterns of taurine metabolism-related genes in the tumor microenvironment and the heterogeneity of taurine metabolism among cancer cells using a single-cell transcriptome. In conclusion, our study provides insights into the important role played by taurine metabolism in tumor progression and immune regulation. Furthermore, the risk model can serve as a biomarker to assess patient prognosis and immunotherapy response, potentially helping clinicians make more precise and personalized clinical decisions.

Published in Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal

ISSN: 2001-0370 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology: Biotechnology
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/computational-and-structural-biotechnology-journal

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