Comprehensive analysis of the prognostic value and immune infiltration of Uridine Monophosphate Synthetase (UMPS) in Pan-Glioma.

Abstract

Uridine Monophosphate Synthetase (UMPS) is a pivotal enzyme in nucleotide metabolism, playing a crucial role in the synthesis of purine and thymidine nucleotides. These nucleotides are essential for DNA and RNA synthesis, thereby impacting cell growth, proliferation, and immune function. In glioblastoma (GBM), a highly malignant primary brain tumor, nucleotide metabolism is abnormally active, and UMPS expression is significantly upregulated. This study aimed to investigate the expression patterns, prognostic potential, and functional roles of UMPS in GBM, as well as its correlation with immune infiltration. Our findings revealed that UMPS expression is elevated in GBM compared to normal tissues and correlates positively with WHO grades of central nervous system tumors. High UMPS expression was associated with shorter overall survival, disease-specific survival, and progression-free interval. Furthermore, This study is the first to reveal that UMPS promotes an immunosuppressive microenvironment in glioma through dual regulation of tumor cell nucleotide metabolism and immune suppression. This establishes a novel link between a metabolic enzyme and immune evasion, providing a new perspective for targeting UMPS in metabolism-immunity combination therapy. Its novelty lies in breaking through the traditional framework of metabolic enzyme research by reframing UMPS as a key node connecting core tumor metabolism to the remodeling of the immune microenvironment. Our study highlights UMPS as a potential therapeutic target in GBM, where modulating its activity or expression could disrupt nucleotide metabolism, inhibit tumor growth, and enhance immune responses.