Network-Based Transcriptome Analysis Reveals FAM3C as a Novel Potential Biomarker for Glioblastoma

J Cell Biochem. 2024 Aug;125(8):e30612. doi: 10.1002/jcb.30612. Epub 2024 Jun 25.

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common form of malignant primary brain tumor with a high mortality rate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance of Family with Sequence Similarity 3, Member C, FAM3C, in GBM using bioinformatic-integrated analysis. First, we performed the transcriptomic integration analysis to assess the expression profile of FAM3C in GBM using several data sets (RNA-sequencing and scRNA-sequencing), which were obtained from TCGA and GEO databases. By using the STRING platform, we investigated FAM3C-coregulated genes to construct the protein-protein interaction network. Next, Metascape, Enrichr, and CIBERSORT databases were used. We found FAM3C high expression in GBM with poor survival rates. Further, we observed, via FAM3C coexpression network analysis, that FAM3C plays key roles in several hallmarks of cancer. Surprisingly, we also highlighted five FAM3C‑coregulated genes overexpressed in GBM. Specifically, we demonstrated the association between the high expression of FAM3C and the abundance of the different immune cells, which may markedly worsen GBM prognosis. For the first time, our findings suggest that FAM3C not only can be a new emerging biomarker with promising therapeutic values to GBM patients but also gave a new insight into a potential resource for future GBM studies.

Keywords: FAM3C; bioinformatics analysis; biomarker; glioblastoma.

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor* / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor* / metabolism
  • Brain Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Brain Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Brain Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Cytokines
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • Glioblastoma* / genetics
  • Glioblastoma* / metabolism
  • Glioblastoma* / mortality
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Prognosis
  • Protein Interaction Maps
  • Survival Rate
  • Transcriptome

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • FAM3C protein, human
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Cytokines