Multi-omics integrative analysis elucidates the molecular characteristics of SMARCA4-deficient lung adenocarcinoma and the derived therapeutic options

Abstract

SMARCA4-deficient lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is highly aggressive with multiple oncogene mutations, and has low sensitivity to chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. By integrating multi-omics analysis and machine learning analysis on 20 lung adenocarcinoma datasets, we characterized SMARCA4 mutation in clinical prognosis, metabolic level, immune infiltration and pathway enrichment. The key role of SMARCA4 in LUAD development was confirmed by several in vitro and in vivo experiments. SMARCA4 is highly expressed in LUAD tissues compared with adjacent tissues, and SMARCA4 mutation is a poor prognostic factor. Although SMARCA4-deficient LUAD patients are not sensitive to common chemotherapeutic drugs, immunotherapy is an alternative treatment for lung adenocarcinoma. SMARCA4 deletion is associated with a high rate of oncogene co-mutation. Co-mutation of KRAS was found to have a significant impact on the response to multiple types of chemotherapy. Unique metabolic profiles, abnormal cell cycle and hyperactivation of oxidative phosphorylation were hallmarks of SMARCA4 mutant LUAD. We screened four chemotherapeutic agents targeting MTOR pathway, oxidative stress, DNA replication or cell cycle, including rapamycin and ribociclib, as potential chemotherapeutic agents for SMARCA4-deficient lung adenocarcinoma. In vitro assays showed that SMARCA4 knockdown significantly inhibited DNA replication, cell cycle and cell proliferation in lung adenocarcinoma cells, and significantly promoted oxidative stress and apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Our comprehensive findings advance our understanding of SMARCA4 mutant LUAD gene mutation and immune microenvironment, providing insights into potential therapeutic approaches and research directions for SMARCA4-deficient LUAD.