Identification and validation of mitochondria-related LncRNA signatures as a novel prognostic model for glioma

Anticancer Drugs. 2025 Jan 14. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0000000000001677. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

A predictive model for long-term survival is needed, and mitochondrial dysfunction is a key feature of cancer metabolism, though its link to glioma is not well understood. The aim of this study was to identify the molecular characteristics associated with glioma prognosis and explore its potential function. We analyzed RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and identified differentially expressed mitochondrial long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) using R's 'limma' package. A prognostic model was developed using 10 selected lncRNAs and validated with Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm. The model's efficacy was assessed using Kaplan-Meier and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, and its correlation with immune cell profiles and drug sensitivity was explored. A 10-mitochondria-related LncRNA signature was generated. The median risk score values are used to classify glioma samples into low-risk and high-risk groups. In breast patients, the signature-based risk score demonstrated a more potent ability to predict survival than conventional clinicopathological features. Furthermore, we noted a substantial disparity in the number of immune cells, including B cells, CD8+T cells, and macrophages, between the two groups. In addition, the high-risk group exhibited lower half-maximal inhibitory concentration values for specific chemotherapy medications, including bortezomib, luminespib, rapamycin, and 5-fluorouracil. Our study elucidates the diagnostic and prognostic value of mitochondria-related-lncRNAs in the promotion, suppression, and treatment of glioma.