Ferroptosis-Related Genes in Lung Adenocarcinoma: Prognostic Signature and Immune, Drug Resistance, Mutation Analysis

It is reported that ferroptosis has close relation with tumorigenesis and drug resistance. However, the clinical significance of ferroptosis in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains elusive, and the potential targets for ferroptosis-based treatment are limited. In this study, we constructed a 15-gene prognostic signature predicting overall survival based on ferroptosis-related genes (ferroptosis driver genes VDAC2, GLS2, FLT3, TLR4, PHKG2, phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD), PANX1, KRAS, PEBP1, ALOX15, and ALOX12B, and suppressor genes ACSL3, CISD1, FANCD2, and SLC3A2) in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUAD cohort. The signature's predictive ability was validated in the GSE68465 and GSE72094 cohorts by survival analysis and independent prognostic analysis with clinical features. Nomograms were provided for clinical reference. Functional analysis revealed that ferroptosis was closely related to cell cycle, cell metabolism, and immune pathways. Pan-cancer analysis comprehensively analyzed these 15 genes in 33 cancer types, indicating that the heterogeneity of 15 genes was evident across different cancer types. Besides, these genes were critical regulators modulating drug resistance, tumor microenvironment infiltration, and cancer stemness. Then, we screened 10 genes (TLR4, PHKG2, PEBP1, GLS2, FLT3, ALOX15, ACSL3, CISD1, FANCD2, and SLC3A2) as potential targets for further research because their biological functions in ferroptosis were consistent with their prognostic significance. Somatic mutation and copy number variation analysis revealed that the alteration rates of KRAS, PGD, and ALOX15 were more than 1% and significantly associated with overall survival in LUAD. Moreover, the expression of KRAS and PGD was positively related to tumor mutation burden, indicating that KRAS and PGD could serve as novel biomarkers for predicting immunotherapy response rate. Our study identified and validated a ferroptosis-related gene signature for LUAD, provided a 10-gene set for future research, and screened KRAS and PGD as potential novel immunotherapy biomarkers.

Automated summary

This study established a 15-gene prognostic signature based on ferroptosis-related genes for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and validated its predictive ability, providing nomograms for clinical reference. Functional analysis revealed associations between ferroptosis and cell cycle, cell metabolism, and immune pathways. Pan-cancer analysis demonstrated the heterogeneity of these genes among different cancer types. Ten genes were identified as potential targets for further research, with KRAS and PGD suggested as novel immunotherapy biomarkers.